"Some great event has transpired, beyond doubt," replied Ounce. "I have no hesitation at saying that he will not be here to night, for it is long past his time. Like enough he may be detained at the great house by some of the wenches-at high confab on matters of scandal."

;

"Dang it!" exclaimed Ballard, "Simon is just the creature for that fun; but he creates mischief by it now and then and once he occasioned a fine piece of work betwixt my dame and I, by saying as how I leered upon old Hodgson's pretty daughter. I spoke to master Simon about the matter, but the little man somehow smoothed my anger, and even made me laugh-he, however, caught it from old Hodgson."

"He did," said Ounce, "but he was determined to have his revenge, so when Hodgson went to be shaved, the little barber used one of his blunt razors."

"Still he is a desirable man in the

village," said the farmer, "and I don't wonder at his being in such favour at the great house, for he can tell a merry story, ay! and pick up one as well-but mum !-talk of the d-1, and soon he appears!"

The door of the apartment opened just as the farmer uttered the last words, and in stalked the very person himself, for whose sake we shall open another chapter, since his news, and the comments that ensued in consequence, are of momentous nature.

CHAPTER III.

PERICLES. How from the finny subject of the sea
These fishers tell th' infirmities of men ;
And from their wat❜ry empire recollect
All that may men approve, or men detest!
Peace be to your labour, honest fishermen.

2d FISHERMAN. Honest! good fellow, what's that?
if it be a day that fits you, scratch it out
of the calendar, and nobody will look
after it.

PERICLES, PRINCE OF TYRE.

THE person ushered into the presence of the assembly, was a dapper looking man, whose avocation might be almost guessed from his name alone, which happened to be Simon Slocombe. His smartly cut hair, well shaven chin, added to a neat white apron, tied rather affectedly round his waist, would have confirmed any body that he was the vil

lage barber and hair-dresser; in addition to which he held the situation of newsmonger, annexing with it a tolerable capacity for scandal, which he never failed to indulge in at those times and places where he thought it safe and acceptable.

Having saluted the company in his most courteous and smiling manner, and cast a shrewd penetrating glance at the stranger, he drew his chair in between the sexton and Ounce, but with an air, however, that bespoke a little deference to these personages. At the same time, he seemed to carry something within his breast which made his looks teem with importance, though not apparently of the most pleasing nature.

The stranger, alive to the workings of the human character, immediately discerned that the barber was bursting with some uncommon event; he, therefore adopted the surest course to arrive at the mighty secret, by administering glass or two of punch, which had the

happy effect of extracting it from his Jips.

"Mr. Digaway, my service t'ye," said Simon "friend Ounce-Ballard, the

:

same t'ye both; and my humble service to this gentleman." Here the barber whispered Digaway, "Who is he?" a question that the sexton was equally puzzled to answer, and therefore merely gave a shrug, as a sign of his perfect ignorance.

"Ah, my friends!" said Simon, fidgetting in his chair as though all was not right, "there are strange doings at the great house. "Twill be the ruin of us all!-must give up the thoughts of taking in a Sunday newspaper-must give up the plan of having a bow window in front of the shop-can't have the parlour painted green, as Mrs. Slocombe and I had previously agreed on.-Oh! 'twill be the certain ruin of the village !" "In the name of goodness, what is the matter?" said Mr. Digaway, aston