A Rogue's Life

gentlemen occupying it. My model Rembrandt was put before me; the simple ele

brandt was to be of the small or cabinet size, and that, as there was a run on Burgomasters just then, my subject was naturally to be of the Burgomaster sort. Three parts of my picture consisted entirely of different shades of dirty brown and black; the fourth being composed of a

Amsterdam. A rare example of the master. Not engraved. The chiar'oscuro in this

it. I suppose Mr. Pick

in the showroom. I got my money, and began enthusiastically on another Rembrandt-"A Burgomaster's Wife Poking the Fire." Last time, the chiar'oscuro of the master had been yellow and black, this time it was to be red

eatment of detail. It wanted nothing, in his opinion, but a little cleaning. Mr. Pickup knew the raw and ticklish state of the surface, however, far too well, to allow of even an attempt at performing this process, and solemnly asserted, that he was acquainted with no cleansing prep

ount to have the picture tested in a court of law, and to charge the seller and maker thereof with conspiring to obtain money under false pretenses. Mr. Pickup and I looked at each other with very blank faces on receiving this agreeable piece of news. What was to be done? I recovered the full use of my faculties first; and I

rs who were to have the conducting of the case against us; and he was able t

ve was not staying in the house, but was in the habit of visiting him, every day, in the forenoon. That was as much as I wanted to know from others. The rest depended on myself, on luck, time, human credulity, and a smattering of chemical knowledge which I had acquired in the days of my medical studi

ers of Rembrandt himself-has been used with the most astonishing results on the Master's pictures in every gallery of Holland, and is now being applied to the surface of the largest Rembrandt in Mr. P.'s own collection. Directions for use: Lay the picture flat, pour the whole contents of the bottle over it gently, s

at two o'clock that day; then went ho

ndt until eight o'clock in the evening-had called for the softest linen cloth in the whole house-and had then, with his own venerable hands, carefully wiped off the compound, and with it the whole surface of the picture! The brown, the black, the Burgomaster, the breakfa

p for a while, and went off to the Continent to ransack the foreign galleries. I received my five and twenty pounds, rubbed out the beginning of my second Rembrandt, closed the back door of the worksh

h a letter in his hand. It was addressed to me-it had been left at the studio a few days since; and (marvel of all marvels!) the handwriting was Mr. Batterbury's.

tary to a new Literary and Scientific Institution, about to be opened in the town of Duskydale, near which neighborhood I possess, as you must be aware, some landed property. The office has been placed at my disposal, as vice-president of the new Institution. The salary is fifty pounds a year, with apartments on the attic-floor of the building. The duties are various, and will be explained to you by the local committee, if you choose to present yourself to them with the inclosed letter of introduc

L BATT

erbury's letter produced in me. What was his real motive for writing it? I hope nobody will do me so great an injustice as to suppose that I hesitated for o

utler, wiping his lips carefully before he spoke; "her la

ed. "What, another? L

er some difficulty in calculating distances. Three days ago, her ladyship went to look out of the window, and, miscalculating the distance-" Here the butler, with

the distance?" I r

artery" (meaning, probably, carotid); "I heard the medical gentleman say, and shall never forget it to my dying day, that her ladyship's life had been saved by a hair-breadth. As it was, the blood lost (the medical gentleman said that, too, sir) was accidentally of the greatest possible benefit, being apoplectic, in the way of clearing out the system. Her ladyship's appetite has been impr

tion and adversity; and he was, therefore, quite ready to take the first opportunity of promoting my precious personal welfare and security, of which he could avail himself, without spending a farthing of money. I saw it all clearly, an

edentials, gave myself the full advantage of my high conn

ry. The grim Puritan interest of the whole neighborhood was, of course, on the grave side-against both dancing and novels, as proposed by local loose thinkers and latitudinarians of every degree. I was officially introduced to the debate at the height of the squabble; and found myself one of a large party in a small room, sitting round

aid my reverend opponent, "there is one unanswerable objection t

nd the curate sat down in triumph. I jumped up to reply, amid the counter-cheering of the loose-thinkers; bu

f dancing or no dancing was put to the vote on the spot. The President, the rector and myself, the three handsomest and highest-bred men in the assembly, led the way on the liberal side, waggishly warning all gallant gen

as to look at the ro

ea of doing anything but sitting down and crying in it seemed to me quite preposterous; but the committee took a different view of the matter, and praised the Lecture Theater as a perfect ballroom. The Secretary's apartments were two garrets, asserting themselves in the most bare

, vainglorious young man. The last person in England to promote the interests of our new Institution." Such was the counter-estimate of me among the Puritan population. I report both opinions quite disinterestedly. There is generally something to be said on either

ers with which I never thought of troubling myself on assuming the duties of Secret

berty to advance themselves or not, just as they liked. Whatever my colleagues may have done, after I left them, nobody at Duskydale can accuse me of having ever been accessory to the disturbing of quiet people with us

any potent, grave and reverent tongues discourse to the popular ear in these siren strains, and how obediently and resignedly this same weary popular ear listens! What if a bold man spring up one day, crying aloud in our social wilderness, "Play, for Heaven's sake, or you will work yourselves into a nation of automatons! Shake a loose leg to a lively fiddle! Women of England! drag the lecturer off the rostrum, and the male mutual instructor out of the class, and ease their poor addled heads of evenings by making them dance and sing

dmission so as to suit the means of any decent people who were willing to leave off money-grubbing and tear themselves from the charms of mutual instruction for one even

t of fashion), and set forth to tout for dancers among all the members of the genteel population, who, not being notorious Puritans, had also not been so obliging as to take tickets for the ba

t house that caught my eye. Vallombrosa Vale Cottages. No. 1. Doctor and Miss Dulcifer. Very good. I have no preferences. Let me sell the first tw

the bottom of it. Any occupation was welcome which kept my mind, in some degree at least, from dwelling on the bitter disappointment that had befallen me. When I rang the bell at No. 1, did I feel no presentim

ifer, and was shown i

s flew all over me. There she was, sitting alone, near the windo

l furnished. Her father had evidently got over his difficulties. I had been inclined to laugh at his odd name, when I found it in the directory!

r; I boldly drew a chair

met. Will you receive me as a visitor, under these extraordinary circumstances? Will yo

led and

she answered, "I do

ly surprise

work, and then replied (a l

N

she contrived with perfect politeness to stop me. She seemed to remember

he inquired, abruptly changing the subj

xplanations her father came in. I look

ony about him except his eyes, and these were so sharp, bright and resolute that they seemed to contradict the bland conventionality which overspread all the rest of the man. Eyes with wonderful intelligence and self-dependence in them; perha

this place has drawn to an end. I only came here for the re-establishment of my daughter's health. She has benefited greatly by the change

he ball? No, it was a much deeper feeling than that. My interest was excited. I addressed a complimentary entreaty to the doctor not to take his daughter away from us. I asked him to reflect

ny one. From all that I can gather, society in Duskydale will be glad to hear

o me to hear it-the name was so appropriate, so

than before. I protested against the doctor's account of himself. He la

essarily obliged, in my own interests, to keep my experiments secret, and to impose similar discretion on the workmen whom I employ. This unavoidable appearance of mystery, and the strictly retired life which my studies compel me to lead, offend the narrow-minded people in my part of the county, close to Barkingham; and the unpopularity of my pursuits has followed me here. The general opinion, I

e said his last words. I could not at all tell what to make of it. The doctor talked of the social consequences of his chemical inquiries as if he were living in the middle ages. However, I was far too anxious to see the charming

She was interested; she smiled-and the sun of beauty shone warmer than ever! I diverged to general topics, and got brilliant and amusing. She laughed-the nightingale notes of her merriment bubbled into my ears caressingly-why could I not shut my eyes and listen to them? Her color rose; her face grew animated. Poor soul! A little lively company was

rank, and grew more amusing than ever. When I at last rose to go, the

r Faustus," he said, with a gay smile, "I shall be delighted

t to his daughter, and the dear friendly girl met the advance with the most charming readiness. She gave me a good, hea

an elderly gentleman passing before the garden gate. I turned round to apologize

reflection, consider your plan of personally soliciting public attendance at the hall t

r, I have only solicited two persons, Doctor and Mis

y you have asked them

to say they can't accept the invita

nobody vi

ould nobody

nfidentially through mine, a

, "Doctor Dulcifer's name is

way. "Or some foreign doctor's degree not re

ound out that he is not visited at Barkingham. Consequentl

he lives a retired life, and is engaged in finding out chemical

of the house, inside, is shut off by iron doors from the bottom. Workmen are employed there who don't belong to the neighborhood, who don't drink at the public houses, who only associate with each other. Unfamiliar smells and noises find their way ou

, and he is not quite fool enough to expose valuable secrets to the view of all the world. His laboratory is at the top of the house, and he wisely shuts it off from the bottom to prevent accidents. He is one of the best fellows I ever met with, and

accept the

pportunity; and if you had se

say nothing against Doctor Dulcifer-he came here as a stranger, and he goes away again as a stranger-but you can't be sure that his purpose in asking you so r

en his shutters," I in

our own way. You may turn out right, and we may all be wrong; I can only say again, it is rash to make doubtful acquai

I answered, "you would do

f mine, and without saying anoth