Turning round at a sound So extremely profound, The moment her shadowy form met his view He gave vent to a sort of a lengthened Bo-o-ho-o!"With a countenance Keeley alone could put on, Made one grasshopper spring to the door-and was gone!

Erupit! Evasit! As at Rome they would phrase itHis flight was so swift, the eye scarcely could trace it, Though elderly, bandy-legg'd, meagre, and sickly, I doubt if the Ghost could have vanish'd more quickly; He reach'd his own shop, and then fell into fits, And it's said never rightly recover'd his wits,

While the chuckling old Hag takes his place and there

sits!

I'll venture to say, She'd sat there to this day, Brooding over what Cobbett calls "vile yellow clay," Like a vulture, or other obscene bird of prey, O'er the nest full of eggs she has managed to lay, If, as legends relate, and I think we may trust 'em, her Stars had not brought her another guess customer

'Twas Basil himself!- Come to look for her pelf: But not, like the Tailor, to dig, delve, and grovel And grub in the cellar with pickaxe and shovel :

Full well he knew Such tools would not do, -
Far other the weapons he brought into play,
Viz., a Wax-taper "hallow'd on Candlemas-day,"

To light to her ducats, - Holy water, two buckets,

K2

Made with salt-half a peck to four gallons-which

brews a

(Strong triple X "strike," -see Jacobus de Chusa).

With these, too, he took His bell and his bookNot a nerve ever trembled,-his hand never shook, As he boldly marched up where she sat in her nook, Glow'ring round with that wild indescribable look, Which Some may have read of, perchance, in "Nell

Cook," *

All, in "Martha the Gipsy," by Theodore Hook.

And now, for the reason I gave you before,

Of what pass'd then and there I can tell you no more, As no Tailor was near with his ear at the door;

But I've always been told, With respect to the gold For which she her "jewel eternal" had sold,

That the old Harridan, Who, no doubt, knew her

man,

Made some compromise-hit upon some sort of plan, By which Friar and Ghost were both equally pinn'dHeaven only knows how the "Agreement" got wind;

But its purport was this, That the things done amiss By the Hag should not hinder her ultimate bliss;

Provided " Imprimis, The cash from this time is The Church's-impounded for good pious uses-Father B. shall dispose of it just as he chooses,

* See page 138.

And act as trustee In the meantime that She, The said Ghostess, -or Ghost, -as the matter may be,From 'impediment,' 'hindrance,' and 'let' shall be free, To sleep in her grave, or to wander, as he The said Friar, with said Ghost, may hereafter agree.

Moreover-The whole Of the said cash, or 'cole,' Shall be spent for the good of said Old Woman's soul!

"It is further agreed-while said cash is so spending, Said Ghost shall be fully absolv'd from attending,

And shall quiet remain In the grave, her domain, To have, and enjoy, and uphold, and maintain, Without molestation, or trouble, or pain, Hindrance, let, or impediment (over again) From Old Nick, or from any one else of his train, Whether Pow'r - Domination, - or Princedom,

Throne,*

Or by what name soever the same may be known,
Howsoe'er called by Poets, or styled by Divines, -
Himself, his executors, heirs, and assigns.

"Provided that, -nevertheless, -notwithstanding All herein contain'd, -if whoever's a hand in

or

Dispensing said cash, -or said 'cole,'-shall dare

venture

To misapply money, note, bill, or debenture

* "Thrones! Dominations! Princedoms! Virtues! Powers!" -Milton.

To uses not named in this present Indenture,

Then that such sum, or sums, shall revert, and come

home again

Back to said Ghost, who thenceforward shall roam again,
Until such time, or times, as the said Ghost produces
Some good man and true, who no longer refuses
To put sum, or sums, aforesaid, to said uses;
Which duly performed, the said Ghost shall have rest,
The full term of her natural death, of the best,
In full consideration of this, her bequest,
In manner and form aforesaid, -as exprest :-
In witness whereof, we, the parties aforesaid,
Hereunto set our hands and our seals--and no more said,
Being all that these presents intend to express,
Whereas-notwithstanding and nevertheless.

"Sign'd, seal'd, and deliver'd, this 20th of May, Anno Domini, blank, (though I've mention'd the day,) (Signed)

"BASIL.

"OLD WOMAN (late) CLOTHED IN GREY."

Basil now, I am told, Walking off with the gold, Went and straight got the document duly enroll'd, And left the testatrix to mildew and mould

In her sepulchre, cosy, cool, -not to say cold.
But somehow-though how I can hardly divine, -
A runlet of fine Rich Malvoisie wine

Found its way to the convent that night before nine,
With custards, and "flawns," and a "fayre florentine,"
Peach, apricot, nectarine, melon, and pine ;-
And some half a score Nuns of the rule Bridgetine,
Abbess and all, were invited to dine

At a very late hour, that is, after Compline.-
-Father Hilary's rubies began soon to shine
With fresh lustre, as though newly dug from the mine;

Through all the next year, Indeed 'twould appear
That the Convent was much better off, as to cheer,
Even Basil himself, as I very much fear
No longer addicted himself to small beer;

His complexion grew clear, While in front and in

rear

He enlarged so, his shape seem'd approaching a sphere.
No wonder at all, then, one cold winter's night,
That a servant-girl going downstairs with a light
To the cellar we've spoken of, saw, with affright,
An Old Woman, astride on a barrel, invite
Her to take, in a manner extremely polite,
With her left hand, a bag, she had got in her right ;-
For tradition asserts that the Old Woman's purse
Had come back to her scarcely one penny the worse!

The girl, as they say, Ran screaming away,
Quite scared by the Old Woman clothed in grey;
But there came down a Knight, at no distant a day,
Sprightly and gay As the bird on the spray,