Shakspeare says, "is most in apprehension," and "if I am to be killed," as the gallant Acres observed, when he was defending the Syrian city which bears his name, at the time when it was besieged by Sir Philip Sidney, "let it be when my back is turned, and I know nothing

about it!"

I acknowledge then, that ever since this election petition has been in abeyance, my mind has been ill at ease; and, though my noble friend on the cross benches, and the right hon. gentleman opposite that is to say, two very influential and experienced members-assure me that I had nothing to fear from the inquiry, I have not been able to settle down to my usual occupations, being constantly goaded by the desire to learn the issue beforehand. It was in vain that I turned to the eloquent pages of Hansard and busied myself in the profundities of "blue books;" the wild huntsman, as Homer says, still rode behind me, “darkening my prospects, shadowing my brow."

While I was thus a prey to uncertainty, though I felt confident that I should come off with drums beating, colours flying, and all the horrors of war, I happened one morning, quite accidentally-for, of course, I never read anything now but the debates-to glance at the advertising columns of the Times, where I stumbled upon something that immediately arrested my attention. It ran as follows:

"SPIRITUAL MANIFESTATIONS.-Professor Madison P. Honey-Fogle of Truthville, La., U. S., has the honour to announce that the celebrated Medium, Mrs. General Bunkum, is now located at No. 101 A, Doostreet, Manchester-square, where she continues to auspicate to private and confidential inquiry, the future being revealed upon infallible authority. At home from ten till four. Evening parties attended."

I was somewhat puzzled by the word "auspicate," but the latter part of the advertisement seemed plain enough. "The future" would be "revealed upon infallible authority!" Why, that was exactly what I wanted. The "inquiry," too, was announced as being "private and confidential," the very terms I employ myself on the outside of my official letters to my constituents. If I had devised the means of relief out of the workings of my own brain, they could scarcely have been more complete. There were, however, some points on which I wished for enlightenment. What was the nature, I asked, of these "spiritual manifestations?" In what shape did they present themselves,-how were they declared? All the ancient forms of incantation came at once before my mind. I fancied myself a second Aristotle, in steeple-crowned hat and robes of black velvet, in the midst of a circle of death's-heads and marrow-bones, with gibbering demons dancing wildly around me; in short, I painted some fearful pictures, and there is no knowing what my ardent fancy might not have imagined, when the door of my study opened, and in walked-not Dr. Faustus and the D-v-l, as I had anticipated-but my own private secretary, Lord William Mortimer. fine fellow," said he, in the free-and-easy manner which I permit on account of his rank, and my friendship for his father, the Duke of Smithfield-" Green, my boy, what's the matter with you today? You look as if you had been dividing with yourself and were in a minority."

"Green, my

This intellectual young patrician, whom I had selected from the aristocracy on account of his acuteness, had at once divined that I was

in a dilemma! I resolved to reward his intelligence with my whole confidence.

"William," I replied, paternally, for, being one of the Conscript Fathers of the State, I endeavour to behave as like one as possible-“I am in a little difficulty at this moment. Perhaps you can explain to me the precise meaning of this advertisement?" and I handed him the newspaper.

"Which is it?" said he; "Beans-and-door-mat?' Fly-by-night wants the Anchor?' Achilles has got the lever?' our old friend, 'Slmpy?' our new one, Aleekephaleskepasteer?'-or what? I'll tell you, if I can."

"It's none of those, William-they, as you know, are private communications between Lord Palmerston and the Austrian government-the hon. member for Bloomsbury said so in his place in the House last night; -no, you must look lower down, there-in the fifth column-near the bottom: it begins, 'Spiritual'

"Ah! I see-oh, that! Don't you know what that is ?"

"I should be glad to learn, my lord," I answered, rather distantly. "Well, old fellow, don't get grumpy. You've heard of the rappings,' I suppose? No! Why, where have you been ?"

"Been!" I exclaimed with energy. "At my legislative post. In the lobby, upon the benches, at the gangway, under the gallery, behind the Speaker's chair

The

"Well, you'd hear noise enough there, though not of this sort. 'rappings' are the 'spiritual manifestations.' You want to know how your grandmother is, who has been dead these fifty years and more: you go to one of these Mediums, or Media, or whatever they call themselves, and somebody knocks under the table, and so you find out. That's what it means. Are you cognisant ?"

"Why-yes-to a certain extent," I replied. "If I rightly apprehend the meaning of the noble lord," I continued, "the grandmothersthat is to say, the spirits-do not appear in person ?"

"So I'm told," returned Lord William. fellows myself."

"I've never been near these

"Should you mind going with me to Doo-street this afternoon ?" "Not in the least: rather good fun."

"Fun, William!" I exclaimed. "No, not fun; this is a serious matter."

"Well, fun or earnest, I'm your man. In the mean time, have you anything for me to do, because I want to go down to Tats?"

"You know," said I, "there's a committee sitting on the 'Horse Guards Crossing-Sweeper's Appointment Inquiry. The Commanderin-Chief has written to offer his evidence, and I should like to be examined myself. Just write and say so; and-William-deliver the letter yourself to the chairman. You can take Tats afterwards, and be with me again about two. I have to read up a little for that question about the Adulteration of Toffy, which comes on to-night: it is a subject of the greatest importance to the rising generation."

Lord William, who is quite worth the 500l. a year which I give for his services, immediately carried out my instructions from a rough draught which I prepared, and then left me to my meditations.

It rarely happens, when I resolve to concentrate my energies on any particular subject, that other thoughts have power to distract my attention from the matter in hand; but, on this occasion, such was actually the case. After endeavouring, for some time, to arrange in a compact, tabular form (for the information of the Chancellor of the Exchequer, who meditates an alteration in the Toffy duties), a précis of the various metropolitan establishments for the sale of that popular luxury-distinguishing the permanent from the ambulatory, and broadly marking the line of demarcation between hardbake and bull's-eyes-I finally threw down my pen and abandoned the interesting task.

I could think of nothing but the Spiritual Manifestations which I was so shortly to witness, and, however lightly Lord William Mortimer might have adverted to them, I felt that the question was an extremely serious one, and demanded the exercise of my subtlest mental faculties. The allusion which Lord William had made to my grandmother somewhat disturbed me. He was wrong in supposing that she had been dead upwards of fifty years. I have a very vivid, though not a very pleasant, recollection of her when I was about five years old; and the impression she has left upon my mind is that of a sharp, spare old lady, who was always asking me disagreeable questions, such as-How I got on with my book? What I did with my pocket-money?-in short, putting me into a fix whenever she could get hold of me. My grandmother, indeed, was the only person I was ever afraid of-I trust the avowal will be thought no disparagement to the manliness of my character-and if I were to grapple with her again, it was evident to me that the intellectual struggle would be a severe one. However, having resolved, like Macheath in Gay's tragedy, "to know, by the worst means, the worst," I braced myself up for the interview with a few glasses of particular Madeira, which produced quite a renovating effect, and by the time Lord William returned I was in a condition to face-I will not say the Demon himself, but-my aged relative, who, after all, did the handsome thing by me when she departed this life.

In order to be within call, in case of a sudden demand for my advice, I have found it necessary to take up my head-quarters considerably nearer "The House" than the villa I occupied before I entered Parliament. I have, therefore, handsomely furnished a suite of chambers in Pall Mall, and, the electric telegraph being laid on in my study, I can at any moment communicate my ideas to the different government offices and other public establishments: this arrangement would also enable me to attend at B-ck-ngh-m P-1-ce within ten minutes of being "sent for," in the event of a M-n-st-r-1 crisis; an advantage which I need not point out to any one who recollects the time that was lost in finding a Pr-m-r when the late M-n-st-y resigned. I think it desirable to mention the change in my locality, that all the world may see how ready I am to meet any emergency that may arise.

"We will take this thing quietly, William," said I, as soon as my noble private secretary made his appearance, "and go incog."

"In a cab?" he inquired.

"We can take one off the first stand we come to," I replied; "it will excite less suspicion."

We accordingly let ourselves out as privately as possible, and were round the corner into St. James's-square before any of the lynx-eyed

loungers at the Carlton or the Reform could get a glimpse of our movements. In Jermyn-street I hailed a Hansom, and in less than ten minutes we were deposited at the north-west angle of Manchestersquare. The trail being now-owing to my diplomacy-completely cut off, we proceeded leisurely to look out for Doo-street, which my topographical knowledge enabled me very soon to discover. No. 101 A was a corner house, of not very imposing aspect exteriorly, but there was no reason for complaint on that score when we got inside. A slip-shod girl, whose face and hands denoted a recent visit to the coal-cellar, answered the door, and, in reply to my inquiry for " Mrs. General Bunkum," professed that she didn't know, but perhaps I'd give my name.

"That," I said, "wasn't necessary, as the lady didn't know me ; what I wished to be informed of was, did Mrs. General Bunkum receive company ?"

"She doesn't have no seeings now," returned the girl, " since the papers won't put in the perticklers in the advertisements."

I turned to Lord William with a smile.

"This girl," said I, in an under tone, "has not had a Parisian education, you hear what she calls a 'séance?'

66

"But," I resumed, addressing the young woman, "your mistress holds consultations ?"

is

""Taint my missis," said the girl, shortly. "My missis's name

"What are you chattering about there, Jane ?" said some one from behind; and an elderly female, in curls and a variegated gown, came out of the back parlour.

"A gentleman wants to know," said Jane, giving a swing to her left hand, which held a dustpan, partially shrouded by a corner of her apron 66 wants to know, mum, if Mrs. General's at home."

"Then why don't you go and see," retorted the mistress, "instead of standing talking there. Put down that dustpan-aint I always a telling of you not to take the utensils to the front door ?"

The girl jerked the implement along the passage and bounced up-stairs, while the landlady begged of us to step in.

"It's about the time, I know," she began, "that the lady generally is vizzerble, and—”

"Please to walk up," called out the girl, putting her head over the balusters, and then running down the stairs; where we met her, "on the first floor front," she continued, breathlessly, adding in a whisper, as I slid a half-crown into her grimy hand, "missis is sich an old wixen !"

To judge by the landlady's countenance, this seemed likely enough; however, as neither myself nor Lord William had come out to study the physiology of lodging-house keepers, we left Jane and her mistress to settle the question after their own fashion, and ascended in search of my destiny.

I tapped at the door which the maid had indicated, and a voice, in nasal tones, desired us to "Come in." We did so, and beheld the speaker, a tall, spare, wiry-looking man, with a sallow skin, and long, straggling black hair, who was standing near a window, engaged with his penknife in shaping a toothpick.

"Your business, strangers," said this gentleman, looking up for a

moment from his occupation, and then resuming it with an energy that threatened speedily to demolish the whole quill.

"I think," returned I, "if my intellect has not deceived me, that I am speaking to Mr. Fogle ?"

"Madison P. Honey-Fogle, if you please, of Truthville, Looeasyany, citizenised for a time in British London. Your commands."

"We came," I pursued, still taking the lead in the conversation-"we came to have an interview with-a-with Mrs. General Bunkum, on a -a-spiritual subject."

"You wish for a manifestation, I reckon," said Mr. Fogle, drawing nearer; "well, 'taint impossible that may eventuate; mind, I'm not a Medium myself. If you think that, you're barking up the wrong tree. I'm a medical Pro-fessor now; have been a judge in the Soo-preme Court of Bushville, Ohio; was skipper of a clipper 'tween Nantucket and Pint Racoon; voted on the Pearce ticket last election; and having realised a smartish retiracy, my mind has centralised itself on spiritual phee-nomena."

I told him I was glad to hear it.

"You may be, stranger," replied Mr. Fogle. Pray set."

Here he pointed to chairs, for we had hitherto been standing; and then, leaning against a table, he went on whittling his quill and talking. "Yes," he continued, "I've studied this question pretty considerable. Nothing's above my bend that I know of when I once allot upon getting the better of it. I warn't disposed to fix it nohow when first the cry was raised in the Union about spiritual manifestations. 'Twarn't no use to tell me; I unbelieved it, I did. But, stranger, there is conviction, and home it come to my buzzom when Mrs. General Bunkum lit up my darkness. She is a Medium, clear grit: if she don't cap the climax, I'm

I had never been in the society of an American orator before, and the language of Congress was consequently new to me, but I inferred, with my usual sagacity, that the Professor was giving a high character both of himself and the fair Medium, and my expectations were proportionably

raised.

"Is the lady disengaged?" I asked.

"Well, she perhaps is," replied the Professor. single sights, or air you prepared to unify?"

"Do you elect for

I did not quite understand the question, and turned to my private secretary for assistance.

"He means, I believe," said Lord William, "do we want to see her alone or together."

"That's an Almighty fact," observed the Professor, whose ears seemed to be uncommonly quick.

As I hesitated for an instant before I replied, the Professor struck in: ""Twon't make no difference as to pay; one's the same as two-five dollars a head, that's to say a guinea each, under five persons, when terms according to number."

I waved my hand, as much as to say that the amount was no consideration, and signified that my noble friend and myself would not part company, at the same time putting down the sum required. The Professor shut up his penknife, stretched out his long, bony hand, and swept