Page:Sylvester Sound the Somnambulist (1844).djvu/251
in this sublunary sphere, more influence than either mind, honour, religion, or love.
In falling, however, Ninety-nine awoke Sylvester, and as he came to the door, in order to ascertain what was the matter, Tom went into his room with the lantern in his hand, and placing himself upon the edge of the bedstead, looked as if all had been lost.
"What is the meaning of this?" inquired Sylvester. "What has occurred?"
"Get idto bed, Syl," said Tom, "add I'll tell you all about it."
Sylvester accordingly got into bed, when Tom, having struck the lantern in the face, commenced—
"Syl," said he, "I'b a victib. But that you kdow. I was always a victib. I was bord to be a victib. I shall becobe id a short tibe wud of those predestidariad swells who believe that a bad's actiods are chalked out by Fate, add that he bust walk Fate's chalks, whether he likes theb or dot. Just look here! Last dight I decided od sittidg up alode, id order to catch that scabp who has created so buch addoyadce. I did'dt tell you a word about it, because I kdew that you'd wadt to sit up with be, add thought that you'd buch better dot. Well, I sat up: sat frob the tibe you wedt to bed, till about half ad hour ago, whed, plaidly hearidg footsteps od the stairs, I prepared to receive, as I fadcied, the fellow by whob the whole of these disturbadces have beed created. Well, presedtly the study door opeded, add id walked a bad, add I gave hib wud which laid hib low, whed, of course to by utter abazebedt, I heard the voice of the goverdor! It's a blessidg the goverdor didd't edter first!"
"Then whom did you strike?"
"Didety-dide the policebad! the fellow who said he could swear to by shirt!"
"Well, but what brought him there?"
"I'll tell you. I dod't thidk he likes be: at all evedts I feel codvidced he doesd't like be buch, add if he does, he likes the goverdor's buddy buch bore; add hedce, id order to get a little of it, he trubped up a tale to the effect that our street-door had beed oped—wide oped for two hours; that he had kept his eye upod it, id order to ascertaid what was goidg od; add that evedtually he saw be edter the house, add thed heard be close the door, add bolt it!"
"Is it possible!"
"Did you ever hear of adythidg so abobidable? Well, with this tale artfully prepared, he radg the dight bell—which I couldd't hear—add whed the wretch had related all that his thick pig's head had allowed hib to codceive, up cabe the goverdor idto by roob, add, of course, whed he foudd that I had dot beed id bed, the tale of the wretch was codfirbed!"
"I see."
"But beidg daturally adxious to kdow where I was, he cabe up to the study; add, as I said before, it's a bercy he didd't cobe first, for if I'd gived hib the blow, which luckily fell to the lot of Didety-dide, I should have beed wretched for life. However, Didety-dide got it, add