`I knew it!' cried his friend, who was at him in a moment, and choked up the unfinished word in his throat, `drowned, Constable! I told you so -- and who did it?' he continued, loosing his grip a moment to obtain an answer.

The Poet's answer, so far as it could be gathered (for it came out in a very fragmentary state, and as it were by crumbs, in intervals of choking), was the following: `It was my -- my -- you'll kill me -- fault -- I say, fault -- I -- I -- gave him -- you -- you're suffoca -- I say -- I gave him --' `a push I suppose,' concluded the other, who here `shut off' the slender supply of breath he had hitherto allowed his victim `and he fell in: no doubt. I heard some one had fallen off the Bridge last night,' turning to the Constable;`no doubt this unfortunate waiter. Now mark my words! from this moment I renounce this man as my friend: don't pity him, constable! don't think of letting him go to spare my feelings!'

Some convulsive sounds were heard at this moment from the Poet, which, on attentive consideration, were found to be `the punch -- was -- was too much -- for him -- quite --' `Miserable man!' sternly interposed Muggle; `can you jest about it? You gave him a punch, did you? and what then?'

`It quite -- quite -- upset him,' continued the unhappy Schmitz, in a sort of rambling soliloquy, which was here cut short by the impatience of the Constable, and the party set forth on their return to the town.

But an unexpected character burst upon the scene and broke into a speech far more remarkable for energetic delivery than for grammatical accuracy: `I've only just 'erd of it -- I were hasleep under table -- 'avin' taken more punch than I could stand -- he's as hinnocent as I am -- dead indeed! I'm more alive than you, a precious sight.'

This speech produced various effects on its hearers: the Constable calmly released his man, the bewildered Muggle muttered `Impossible! conspiracy -- perjury -- have it tried at assizes': while the happy Poet rushed into the arms of his deliverer crying in a broken voice: `No, never from this hour to part. We'll live and love so true!' a sentiment which the waiter did not echo with the cordiality that might have been expected.

Later in the day, Wilhelm and Sukie were sitting conversing with the waiter and a few friends, when the penitent Muggle suddenly entered the room placed a folded paper on the knees of Schmitz, pronounced in a hollow tone the affecting words `be happy!' vanished, and was seen no more.

After perusing the paper, Wilhelm rose to his feet; in the excitement of the moment he was roused into unconscious and extempore verse:

`My Sukie! He hath bought, yea, Muggle's self,
Convinced at last of deeds unjust and foul,
The licence of a vacant public-house.
We are licensed here to sell to all,
Spirits, porter, snuff, and ale!'

So we leave him: his after happiness who dare to doubt? has he not Sukie? and having her, he is content.


  By PanEris using Melati.

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