The History of Samuel Titmarsh, and The Great Hoggarty Diamond

arge old-fashioned locket, of Dublin manufacture in the year 1795, which the late Mr. Hoggarty used to sport at the Lord Lieutenant's balls and elsewh

d gentleman had; and, as all these little ringlets partook of the family hue of brilliant auburn, Hoggarty's portrait seemed to the fanciful view like a great fat red round of beef surrounded by thirtee

o have taken a stroll in the hayfields); promised every time I drank her bohea to do something handsome for me when I went back to town,-nay, three or four times had me to dinner at three, and to whist or cribbage afterwards. I did not care for the cards; for though we always played seven hours on

Mary Smith, with whom I had conversed on the subject, actually netted me a little green silk purse, which she gave me (behind Hicks's hayrick, as you turn to the right up Churchyard Lane)-which she gave me, I say, wrapped up in a bit of silver paper. There was something in the purse, too, if the truth must b

the black currant, of which she made me drink the greater part. At night when all the ladies assembled at her party had gone off with their pattens and their maids, Mrs. Ho

eat, though I pretended t

: "it will do you good." I took it, and you might have seen my hand tremble as the bottle went click-click against the glass. By the time I had swallowed

e time,"

om your sainted uncle, my blessed husband; and of all my nephews and

at all the Hoggarties were married in Ireland and mothers of numerous child

there were seventy-three of us in all, and believe me I do think your hig

of all my other kindred, you, Samuel, have been the most dutiful and affectionate to me. Your employers in London give the best accounts of your regularity and good conduct. Though you have had eighty po

I. It was all th

above money, dear Samuel. I give you what I value most in life-the p,-the po, the po-ortrait of my sainted Hoggarty" (tears), "set in the locket which contai

and I should as soon have thought of wearing it as of wearing a cocked-hat and pigta

s a barndoor padlock), and slowly put it into my shirt. "Thank you, Aunt," said I, with admirable raillery. "I shall always

ed Mrs. Hoggarty, "with the hair of those odious

ket will be s

mind the locket; h

too large for the present fashion; and have the portrait of my uncle frame

t. When he had finished that wonderful likeness for the late Mrs. Hoggarty of Castle Hoggarty, county Mayo, she wore it in her bosom at the Lord Lieutenant's ball, where she played a game of piquet with the Commander-in-Chief. What could have made her put the hair of her vulgar daughter

ord. 'It's the most wonderful l

ays she, 'of

ure with a dissatisfied air. 'There is one fault in that portrait,' said his Lordship, who was a ri

ys Mrs. Hoggarty o

t!' And he took up the cards again in a passion, a

announcement upon his susceptible heart! When Mrs. Hoggarty died, your uncle took the portrait and always wore it himself. His sisters said it was for the sake of the diamond; whereas, ungrateful things! it was merely on ac

take it on my arrival in London to the great jeweller, Mr. Polonius, and send her the bill. "The fact is," said she, "that the gold in which the thing is set is

was first made to me. "After all," thought I, "a diamond-pin is a handsome thing, and will give me a distingué air, though my clothes be never so shabby"-and shabby they were without any doubt. "Well," I said, "three gui

where: but look you, in those days I had a heart, and a warm one too. I had Mary's purse ready for my aunt's donation, which never came, and with my own little stock of money besides, that Mr

by me two hours ago, when I was listening to Mrs. H.'s long stories over her terrible Rosolio. The truth is, at ten I had an appointment under a

ich Somebody was very fond, and even threw a pebble at the window, which hit it exactly at the opening of the lattice,-I woke no one except a great bru

sisters made breakfast for me at four, and at five came the "True Blue" light six-i

ittle bit. Certainly the window was open, and it had been shut the night before: but away went th

*

o was smoking a cigar, to the guard, looki

nd and having all my clothes to pack up, and thinking of something else, had quite fo