Punch (73.1877)

226 PUNCH, OR THE LONDON CHARIVARI. [November 17, 1877.

THAT LASS >0 TOWERY 'S.

By the Authors of Several other Things, fyc, fyc.

Spring; specially the onions, whose fragrance was more powerful
than anything else in the garden. For one moment he stood taking
in the full scents of the glorious scene, and his tears rose. She
was lost in a reverie. Her beautiful eyes spoke of calm wise
thoughts within.

" Sage among the onions ! " murmured Negus to himself.
She heard him, and started. With two steps he was beside her.
Her hand trembled so, that one or two of the loose Spring-onion
stalks, which she had been twining in her hair, fell at his feet.

" My love," whispered Negus Barcrow in her ear, " My love is
stronger than these." And he pointed to the fragrant bunch as it
lay on the rich soil.

" Nong ! Nong /" she cried. " Voo voo moTthy der mwaw. Say
votr' blarg."

The change he noted in her speech and mode of address, touched
him unutterably. French in how many lessons ? For his sake too,
and at her own expense ! And scarcely a trace of her northern accent!

Chapter XI.—The Finishing Touches.

Aeter this, Anice Sortigal took Em Beerie in hand.

Anice was a clever girl, possessed of considerable common sense,
and as all objections to her marriage with the Reverend Thomas
Titt were now removed, in consequence of his having become a
moderate High Churchman of live feet eleven, instead of the Ultra-
Low Churchman of four feet nothing, that he was before being
doubled up by Em Beerie, Anice saw at a glance that if she left the
conversion and education of that " Lass so Towery " to the Curate,
it would, in all probability, result in the latter converting the
Mining Girl into the Rev. Mrs. Thomas Titt. Anice therefore
took her instruction in hand, sending her regularly every night to

a day-school in the next " Leave me, Mossoo

county, kept by an Aunt r-- -v, Negus, if you please,"

of hers, who, with the aid . T ' ---_r she said, struggling with

of the Vicar of Swiggin, <ZT 1 - , v f V' V an emotion which it was

managed to realise a con- ~~, - _ -- A-ii i almost impossible for her

siderable sum by getting ^ .^S. ^AgP^ * J <■ -, -to conceal. " Lazy mwaw,

up a private subscription . ; >/^J^"i^f^lSsii^k " ' I sivvoo play-' I mean to

for the orphan girl's edu- l\ £c^£\- jB^gB^a^'/ ^ye al°ne—to retire from

cation. _ \* ' • • ^ d( /• ^ ^3Sg^gfesj»7 ^MSSf^^»^^y.-.--; stills the world. I have re-

Em Beeeie displayed a C^v J C^ap^g^^r^s ^r. ;C/vrm^^a$^^N^-^^^^'' nounced all the pumps

marvellous aptitude for s7^//>^/cv \V/« A^»i " «W^-<^^^^K^^^^^^^^^^^ an^ van^es-" She

words of one syllable, and \ /^^Vv^%§^^\ ^"^1? ^ paused, and he seized the

soon distanced all the " °\\ L~ ^^^^^^TjW^/ /%opportunity

pumps,"

other pupils (most of ^t^^^^Toy^^^T/ /I ff ir /^Pllilll§ " Not aW the

whom were about fifteen S^Ij^^^'v \ty<rJ^W jJ? V till ^illlllll^ ne 8ai(i, tenderly taking

years younger than her- NPi§Al O^x^/g^nll fJ^CJir jlMi /^lilll her hand," for is not one
self) by her performance, ^ ' ^IF lL l^fv^JlllilL' ^11111^ standing beside you?"
on the piano, of the most -3^iPtf/ Jk|g|b / QJ~ j§ Wu'^^^. iPtlii (He referred to the hand-
popular airs of the day, I^^fr^lSaJt^ OsS^^^l f*llfe.J^9^' ^8111 pump, but she, with her
arranged on the unidigital J-~? j^A#v jit, I n ij^^1—^S^P^y^^ltilll^ nne woman's instinct,
principle by the well- --.^^(Qjfc ""1^//^^^^^) \ % ^"^^^ mistook his meaning.)
known Professor Strumm ? ^A "c^fefcl ^^^^i^^^^^^ " To are axin me to be
of Nokkenammerung. H^^)^J \ f\ A^fflWi Yor wife?" she said,
Then Em went m lor f ^^l^UyVS ^^^AO relapsing for an instant
French, which she mas- f ' ! f ^^Ciy,,^^^A < - into her old native tongue;
tered so quickly as to be y Lf y k^V \W ^^W)1 ^eIII then, correcting herself,

able, within eight weeks { ^ SMl/T^ /||\^ f1§ flk _ ^g&> c> she continued/'You are,
of her commencement, to \ / /M^i . 1U ./ JC*1^ \i \ % \%P i*d^ll^ I believe, requesting me
say "Wee" and "Nong" \ "'^^y^lVv^T^-^ s^itN^ to become vour affianced
with an accent that would S .=^||§3 ^^C^^^^^^^^^^^M v- jfe ^^^^^^S:^ bride ? Is it not so ? "
have _ astonished even a " _J§1 Silk He could not deny it.
Parisian. She was taught ^^n^^^^^W^R .Fllll T? "I love you," he au-
to write a fine Roman ^ ^as^Se®!.^ ' \ \ , vSssSslIsI HPs^ JF I^^^T > i uti >>
hand by Signor Potooxi, P^^ffl^^S^™^1—^^^R^-^.^^ V SWCT / V v, i
and learnt singing in the \ gr^^^^^M W^^S^I^I^^^^^^^^^^ .S]|e tu™ed a-Way ■ y-y'
winter from Count Rostre \ f 7 W^^^^P^VK V^' a- the Sam? tim5 gl™l
di Ceznutti, then making \ / ^^^^^ / M^^^^^^^^ 1^^^^^ X fx. g^le nudge with
his first visit to England. i ) WKsM^l J^^^m^^^^^i] M^^A ? ^er elb°w.that caused him
She became so clever, ( ^^^^^ J<1^^^ i^m^S^ 1 l£^^ ) to pause m the middle of
that Anice's Aunt wrote ^^^^^^^^ ^^^^ i^K^^S ifIfe^ his speech, with a sudden
to ask what was to be ^^^^^W?' fl^^^r^^^^jl IbJ^lfeiwfclshe<l fY ^hat 1 d
done with this surprising ^^^^S^L A.^^^^Pv-^^^^W^^^^^ "'" through her frame,
pupil. ^Jrr g/afeUjW^g^g'^- ^.v^tsN >f»^PL^^- <^~?^- _ Then she spoke.

Anice was, however, S^>i^^^^^' 'si*liiifiiS^ " To canna marry me—

too much interested in > ' C '.y^\ T^^}^ ^ v5' v-" ro° ner Poova^ Par mer

the parish work of the '^""^IZbM"^^* '^-"T- t c<!^^^§^-7^<S^^^^ marriay—because I have

Reverend Thomas Titt to ^ ^—* r^Cxr^T^ c:Cr^^^^^"~%^^^ not yet acquired all the

pay any attention person- V e, k\--—^^^aS-O-^ <^^^(C~-O ^s*^ accomplishments which, I

ally to this appeal. The ^ > t_ <---->c-^> admit, I should like to

Reverend Thomas, how- possess," she said.

ever, told Negus Barcrow who immediately resolved to call upon
Em Beerie.

" You love Em," said the Curate, blushingly casting down his
eyes.

" I don't love 'em, I love her ! " replied his friend.

"I thought you loved Anice," said the Curate. " And if you did,
I was quite prepared to give her up, and take Emma Beerie."

"You're a good, warm-hearted, self-sacrificing fellow!" cried
Negus Barcrow, enthusiastically ; " and you 're welcome to Anice
Sortigal."

Then the two men shook hands. They understood one another
perfectly.

Negus Barcrow left Swiggin, where nobody required his presence.
He went to Anice Sortigal's Aunt's bouse, or the house of the
Aunt of Anice Sortigal, and asked for Miss Emmellne Beerie.

She was in the kitchen-garden, near,the pond, where the Ducks
were stuffing themselves, in order to save the Cook all future
trouble. She was leaning upon a hand-pump, in the midst of an
extensive onion-bed. All around made Barcrow conscious of

But when will that be ? " asked Negus, with tender impatience.
"Soon. I have learnt music, and everything except drawing."
She hid her face in her hands. "Alas! " she cried, "I cannot
draw."

A bright thought struck the Young Engineer.

"I have two friends," he said, " two literary and dramatic
gentlemen, Messrs. Matton and Hathison, who, by the kind
permission of a distinguished authoress, will take you up to
town-"

"ToLunnon! Jer ver deer ar Lonclrr ! I mean London ? she
asked, rapturously.

"Yes, to London. And they will bring you out'at the Opera
Comique. There you will soon learn how to draw."

" Shall I?" she exclaimed. " What shall I draw to begin with ?
she asked.

The Young Engineer paused for a second, thoughtfully. Then he
replied,

" Your salary."

" Thart's noice! thart be I—tray bong ! I mean, good enough!