Hide and Seek

hen she quitted a recumbent posture. But the general disorganization produced by almost exclusive confinement to one position, had, even at this early period, begun to work sad c

s it had ever been in the happier days of their marriage. So encouraged, Lavinia had the heart to bear all burdens

furnished than any other room in the house; but was far from presenting the same app

utumn of 1838. It would not, however, at that time have formed part of the furniture of Mrs. Blyth's room, if her husband had not provided himself with the means of p

, the most serenely good-humored smiles, and the neatest and whitest caps ever seen on paper. If fathers and their male friends rarely appreciated the fidelity of his likenesses, mothers and nurses invariably made amends for their want of taste. It followed, therefore, almost as a matter of course, that the local exhibition of the Doctor's drawing must bring offers of long-clothes-portrait employment to Valentine. Three resident families decided immediately to have portraits of their babies, if the painter would only travel to their houses to take the likenesses. A bachelor sporting squire in the neighborhood also volunteered a c

leford reputation in the course of a few days. Having done the babies to admiration, he next undertook the bachelor squire's hack. Here he had some trouble. The sporting gentleman would look over him while he painted; would bewilder him with the pedigree of the horse; would have the animal don

eturning to the Rectory, after a day's work at the Squire's house, his attention was suddenly attracted

formed the public that the equestrian company included "MISS FLORINDA BEVERLEY, known," (here the letters turned suddenly green) "wherever the English language was known, as The Amazonian Empress of Equitation." This announcement was followed by the names of inferior members of the Company; by a program of the evening's entertainments; by testimonials extracted from the provincial press; by illustrations

ared again, and formed the followi

ERIOUS F

TEN Y

DEAF AND

occupying no less than three paragraphs of stumpy small print, eve

etween the first and second parts of the evening's performances. Mr. J. has taken the liberty of entitling this Marvel of Nature, The Mysterious Foundling; no one knowing who he

wards. Through no fault on the part of The Scourer (who, overcome by his feelings at the result of the above-mentioned frightful accident, has gone back to his native wilds a moody and broken-hearted man), she slipped from his hand while the three horses bestrode by the fiery but humane Arab were going at a gallop, and fell, shocking to relate, outside the Ring, on the boarded floor of the Circus. She was supposed to be dead. Mr. Jubber instantly secured the inestimable assistance of the Faculty, who found tha

us Foundling, as exhibiting perfection hitherto unparalleled in the Art of Legerdemain, with wonders of untraceable intricacy on the cards, originally the result of abstruse calculations made by that renowned Algebraist, Mohammed Engedi, extending over a pe

y of the fluent Mr. Jubber. He consulted the bottom of the bill, however, as requested; and ascertained what were the prices of admission-then glanced at th

ation as this. But what were they then? That question he himself could not have answered: it was a common predicament with him not to know his own motives, generally from not inquiring into them. There are men who run breathlessly-men who walk cautiously-and men who saunter easily through the journey of life. Valentine belonged to

he was going, and to get a cup of tea, and then hur

her imperial legs to the tune of "Let the Toast be Dear Woman," played with intense feeling by the band. Suddenly the melody changed to "See the Conquering Hero Comes;" the piebald horse increased his speed; the Empress raised a flag in one hand, and a javelin in the oth

ut the slightest appearance of intellectual effort-still Mr. Blyth exhibited no demonstration of astonishment or pleasure. It was only when a bell rang between the first and second parts of the performance, and the band struck up "Gentle Zitella," that he showed

tache, great fat, flabby cheeks, long hair parted in the middle, a turn-down collar with a rose-colored handkerchief; and was, in every respect, the most atrocious looking stage vag

the whole audience in an instant. They greeted her with such a burst of applause as might have frightened a grown actress. But not a note from those che

ll which encircled the ring, and walked her round a little way (beginning from the door through which he had entered), inviting the spectators to test her total deafness by clapping their hands, sho

side of her, officiating as assistants. These tricks, in themselves, were of the simplest and commonest kind; and derived all their attraction from the child's innocently earnest manner of exhibiting them, and from the novelty to the audience of communicating with her only by writing on a slate. They never tired of scrawling questions, of saying "poor little thing!" and of kissing her whenever they could ge

he circus, how were the spectators on the other side, whose p

onstantly repeating the offense the moment afterwards. Mad and mysterious words, never heard before in Rubbleford, poured from his lips. "Devotional beauty," "Fra Angelico's angels," "Giotto and the cherubs," "Enough to bring the divine Raphael down from heaven to paint her." Such were a few fragments of the mad gentleman's incoherent mutterings, as they reached his neighbors'

the broad partition wall of the ring, until it came ne

always? the young, tender life be for ever a speechless thing, shut up in dumbness from the free world of voices? Oh! Angel of judgment! hast thou snatched her hearing and her speech from this little child, to abandon her in helpless affliction to such profanation as she now undergoes? Oh, Spirit of mercy! how long thy white-winged feet have tarried on their way to this innocent suff

iently till their curiosity was satisfied. And now, her weary pilgrimage was well nigh over for the night. She had arrived at

o Valentine; and when she look

inct of the deaf and dumb, read his compassionate disposition, his pity and longing to help her, in his expression at that moment? It might have been so. Her pretty lips smiled on him as they

s, but with a patient forlornness in the sad blue eyes, as if the seeing-sense that was left, mourned always for the hearing and speaking senses that were gone-he marked all these things in an instant, and felt that his heart was sinking as he looked. A dimness stole over his sight; a suffocating sensation

s too old an adept in stage-business of all kinds not to know how to

ieving that a Rubbleford audience can make kind allowances for their weaker fellow-creatures? Thanks, a thousand thanks in the name of this darling and talented child, for your cordial, your generous, your affectionate, your inestimable reception of her exertions to-night!" With this per

behind the red curtain. "I must have all this in the bills to-morrow. I

the cloudless autumn moonlight. He struck his stick violently on the ground, which at that moment represented to him the head of Mr. Jubber; and

ered gown was running towards him as fast as her na

eman that was taken queer at seeing our little Foundling? I

n, Valentine instantly began to

t to me! I'm only Mrs. Peckover, sir, the wife of Jemmy Peckover, the clown, that you saw in the circus

I could do something to help her and make her happy. If Lavvie and I had had such an angel of a child as that," continued Valent

sentiments as these from strangers. She stared up at Mr.

ed a stern voice from the stable department of the circ

he had come out. Valentine looked after her intently, but made no attempt to follow: he was think

er man was in love with a child at first sight, he was that man. As an artist, as a gentleman of refined tastes, and as the softest-hearted of male human beings, in all three capacities, he was enslaved by that little innocent, sad face. He made the Doctor's head whirl again; he fairly stopped Mrs. Joyce's progress with the fan

id Mrs. Joyce, taking up a drop

cting it for the post; "but, as I often used to tell his poor father (who never would believe me), a little cracked. I've

nt about the child? Poor thing! I'm sur

't. A man who cannot resist an application for shelter and supper from any stray cur who wags his tail at him in the street; a man who blindly believes in the troubles of begging-letter impostors; a man whom I myself caught, la

a sky-blue ribbon round it. "Doctor," said Valentine, "may I ask an excellent woman, with whom I

rector, laughing. "The child by all

s. Joyce (who had read the Circus placard). "Florin

gerly. "I quite agree with you; her name ought to be Je

yce, indignant at this professio

nt woman is?" cried the doctor, secretly tickl

ble married woman; she doesn't ride in the circus at all

or-"or, no-stop! Not to-morrow; I shall be out. The day after. Cake and

never mind!" Here Valentine suddenly shut the door, then as suddenly opened it again, and added, "I mean to finish that infernal horse-picture to-morrow, and go to

cried the doctor.

d Mrs. Joyce, whose thoughts still ran on the u

argued no longer about introducing "light and shade," or "keeping the background subdued in tone." His thoughts were all with the deaf and dumb child and Mrs. Peckover; and he smudged away recklessly, just as he was told, without once uttering so much as a word of protest. By the even

o the circus; placing himself, as nearly as he could, in

step forward to get nearer to him; but was stopped by Mr. Jubber, who saw that the people immediately in front of her were holding out their hands to write on her slate, and have her cards dealt round to them in their turn. The chil

eption accorded to his pupil had shaken her nerves; and then signed to her, with a benevolent smile, but with a very sinister expression in his eyes, to try another trick. She

he ring, the child look

ttle thing! she seems frightened at the man in the fine green jacket," said one. "And not without cause, I dare say," adde

curtain. He was not certain about it, but the mere doubt made his blood run chill. He listened for a minute anxiously. There was no chance now, however, for

ursue that inquiry. His ruddy face suddenly turned pale; and he left the ci

found a door to apply at for admission. At last he came to a sort of a

shabby lad, suddenly appearing fr

rown. "I want to see the de

muttered the lad, pock

s ears at which his heart sickened and turned faint. No words can describe it in al

he woman who had accosted him the night before, crying, and soothing the child, who lay shuddering on her bosom. The sobs of the clown's wife mingled with the inarticulate wailing, so low, y

or-struck at what he heard, "stop h

nd put the child down, then recogn

nd beat her again.-Oh, hush! hush, for God's sake! It's true he beat her-the cowardly, hellish brute!-only for making that one little mistake with the cards. No! no!

instant before. He seized tight hold of her hand and refused to move. If Mr. Jubber

ously looked at him through her tears-then turned away quickl

ng for breath; "I mean to prevent this from happening again-don't speak!-I'll take that injured, be

him by pointing su

etly into his face. The pretty lips tried hard to smile once more; but they only trembled for an instant, and then closed again. The clear, soft eyes, still dim with tears, sought his with an innocent gaz

red her with kisses. The frail, childish hands rose trembling, and clasped themselves gently ro

s that were beginning to burst from her afresh. She whispered, "Oh, go, sir,-pray g

ng the child in his arms. "

se you anyt

Doctor Joyce's-the cl

please, for little Mary's

ine drew back into a corner, an

ging her hands in despair, and trying to drag him out of the corner. "Jubber will be in here in another minute

the hand which she held out towards him, or the appealing look that said so plainly and pathetically: "I want to bid you good-bye; but I can't say it

iserable place, rested her head against the rough partition which was all that divided her from the laughing

hing him out all the time he was speaking to her. "You must bring little Mary to the Recto

only go now. I'll bring her-I

't!"-He stopped; for he suddenly felt the open air blowing on his face. The clown's wife was gone, an