‘And why not there?’ said I; jealous of some new purchase which I was not to see.

’Because there’s somebody ill there—­it is a bedroom now:  a poor girl; she wanted a place to die in, poor thing, and I put her in there.’

‘Who is she?—­a relative?’

’No; I never saw her till Monday last.  Sit down, I’ll tell you how it was.  Set down the coffee, Mrs Jones, and just look in upon the patient, will you?  Sugar and cream?  You know my weakness for the dead wall in Lincoln’s Inn Fields.’ (Jack never refuses a beggar backed by that wall, for the love of Ben Jonson, who, he devoutly believes, had a hand in building it.) ’Well, I met with her there on Monday last.  She asked for nothing, but held out her hand, and as she did so the tears streamed from her eyes on the pavement.  The poor creature, it was plain enough, was then dying; and I told her so.  She said she knew it, but had no place to die in but the parish workhouse, and hoped that I would not send her there.  What’s the use of talking?  I brought her here, and put her to sleep on the sofa while Jones cleared out the lumber-room and got up a bed.  I sent for Dr H——­ to look at her; he gave her a week or ten days at the farthest:  I don’t think she’ll last so long.  The curate of St——­ comes every day to see her, and I like to talk to her myself sometimes.  Well, Mrs Jones, how goes she on?’

‘She’s asleep,’ said the housekeeper.  ’Would you like to look at her, gentlemen?’

We entered the room together.  It was as if some unaccountable presentiment had forewarned me:  there, upon a snow-white sheet, and pillowed by my friend’s favourite eider-down squab, lay the wasted form of Ellen D——.  She slept soundly and breathed loudly; and Dr H——­, who entered while we stood at the bedside, informed us that in all probability she would awake only to die, or if to sleep again, then to wake no more.  The latter was the true prophecy.  She awoke an hour or two after my departure, and passed away that same night in a quiet slumber without a pang.

I never learned by what chain of circumstances she was driven to seek alms in the public streets.  I might have done so perhaps by inquiry, but to what purpose?  She died in peace, with friendly hands and friendly hearts near her, and Jack buried her in his own grave in Highgate Cemetery, at his own expense; and declares he is none the worse for it.  I am of his opinion.

NOTES FROM AUSTRALIA.

Letters from working-men have been published in great numbers by the home-press, but a voice from the tradesman has seldom been heard; or, if heard, has not been attended to.  I trust in some measure to supply the deficiency to those middle-class townsfolk who seek to emigrate to Australia.