"But the old put didn't wait to hear me say all this. Before the

words were well out of my mouth, she gave a bounce, to the bell-rope

first--I thought she'd ha' jerked it to pieces--and then to the

head of the stairs."

"Excuse me for a moment, sir, if you please," she said, in a

considerable fidget.

"Certainly, ma'am," says I, with a great Kentucky sort of bow and

natural civility; and then I could hear her squalling from the

head of the stairs, and at the top of her voice, "Julia! Julia!

Julia!"--but there was no answer from Julia. Then came the servants;

then came the outcry; then she bounced back into the parlor,

and blazed out at me for not telling her at once that it was her

daughter who had been carried off, without making so long a story

of it, and putting in so much talk about tobacco.

"Lord bless you, my dear woman!" says I, innocent enough, was that

pretty girl your daughter? That accounts for the fellow looking

up at the window so often; and I to fancy that it was all because

I might have given him a quid!"

"You must have seen her THEN!"

"Well, ma'am," said I, "I must come again about the negroes. I

see you've got your hands full."

"And, with that, I pushed down stairs, while she blazed out at

her husband, whom she called an old fool; and me, whom she called

a young one; and the negroes, whom she ordered to fly in a hundred

ways in the same breath; and, to make matters worse, she seized

her hat and shawl, and bounced down the steps after me. Here we

were in a fix again, that made her a hundred times more furious.

The street-door was locked on the outside, and the key gone, and

I fastened up with the old mad tabby. I tried to stand it while

the servants were belaboring to break open, but the storm was too

heavy, and, raising a sash, I went through: and, in good faith, I

believe she bounced through after me; for, when I got fairly into

the street and looked round, there she went, bounce, flounce,

pell-mell, all in a rage, steam up, puffing like a porpoise--though,

thank Jupiter! she took another course from myself. I was glad to

get out of her clutches, I assure you."

Such was Kingsley's account of his expedition, told in his

particular manner; and endued with the dramatic vitality which he

was well able to give it, it was inimitable. It needs but a few

words to finish it. Mrs. Clifford, with unerring instinct, made

her way to the house of that friendly lady who had assisted our

proceedings. But she came too late for anything but abuse. Julia

was irrevocably mine. Bitter was the clamor which, in our chamber,

assailed us from below.




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