determined to find out what had so violently affected her. The Paper did not seem to contain much news, or at least news that could have interested Agatha much: there was a description of Napoleon's Italian Campaign; the arrest in Rotterdam of a gang of English Coiners; and lastly an article on the mysterious adventure of General Mackenzie, the writer of which article found fault with the magistrates for not having subjected all our servants to a more searching examination.

Next morning to our great surprise Agatha Snow had disappeared, having left most of her property in the house. After a few days a distant relative of hers, living in Rotterdam, called and presented a note from Agatha Snow, in which she said that private affairs had rendered it necessary for her to leave us without any notice, that her property and all wages due to her were to be entrusted to her relative, and that we need not trouble ourselves to make enquiries for her as she was quite well and happy. Thus we lost our charming Lady's Maid. I cannot say that I regretted her much, though my aunt seemed to feel her loss deeply. Meanwhile General Mackenzie was quite well and strong again, and the first thing he did on his recovery was to return to the ghost-room. But no ghost disturbed his night's rest, nor ever afterwards was anything uncanny known to intrude in the room. After the General's departure my aunt made the room her own, and continued to sleep in it as long as I lived with her, without the slightest interruption from the one-arm'd spectre of her late husband.

Ten years had passed and nothing more had been heard of the ghost; new scenes and new ties had almost banished the remembrance of the whole mystery from my mind; still I could not help thinking about it sometimes, and hoping that the truth might yet be brought to the light; and as I started with my husband for a Continental Tour, in which we hoped to stay some weeks with my aunt at Rotterdam, I could not help expressing to him that I felt a presentiment that before our return some clue to the mystery would be found. But alas! after staying a month in Rotterdam, and investigating the case, as far as we could, we were as far off from the truth as ever, though I must admit that I became acquainted with several facts in the former life of my uncle and aunt, which before had been kept secret from me, or only mysteriously hinted at. These facts it is not now necessary for me to relate, for though they accounted for much that I had previously thought peculiar in my aunt's conduct, they did

not seem to have much connection with the solution of the ghost story, on the supposition that the assailant of General Mackenzie was no ghost, but an utter impostor. I left Rotterdam much vexed by my failure; but, as it turned out, chance led me to the information which all my efforts had been unable to obtain. After spending the winter in Italy we returned home through Switzerland. We intended to stay for a month at Lucerne after the fatigues of the St. Gothard Pass. A crowd was waiting the arrival of our steamer at Lucerne, and as I landed I thought I recognized a face amid the people who thronged around us. I saw a pale face, which still retained evident traces of beauty, looking at me with a fixed gaze. But directly our eyes met, the face disappeared and I could nowhere see it again, though owing to a certain indefinable impression made upon me by the look which I encountered, I was extremely anxious to keep the face in sight. I fancied however as we walked slowly to our hotel that I caught occasional glimpses of a woman following us, and I was confirmed in this suspicion when I observed that as we walked up the steps of our hotel the woman suddenly stopped, and retraced her steps as fast as she could. That evening a note was brought me by the waiter, who said it had been left by a boy for Miss Hester-. Tearing open the envelope, I found a few words written in evident haste on a scrap of paper. The writer, as I have stated, had addressed me by my maiden name, thus showing that he or she knew something of my early life. The note itself implored me to meet the writer that night at 12 o'clock on the second covered bridge (which, if I remember right bears the name of " Mühlenbrücke"), and assured me that, if I would do this, I should hear the whole history of some mysterious events which had happened during my early life at Rotterdam. The writer added that, unless I came alone I should receive no information. My mind was soon made up. I shewed the letter to my husband, telling him that we had at last arrived at the object of our desires: that I felt sure the woman who had followed me from the steamer was the writer of the letter, and that I suspected her to be no one else than the once beautiful Agatha Snow. At first my husband would not hear of my meeting this unknown writer-but what good and true wife ever failed to persuade her husband that her judgement was vastly superior to his? He of course yielded after a little opposition, but stipulated that he should walk with me to the bridge and wait near to it, so as to be able to assist me at once in case of danger.

As the hour of midnight came on, I confess I began to feel a little nervous as to the result of my expedition, for the night was threatening, and the moon was at times hidden, and at times drifted angrily through a cloudy sky. The old Cathedral clock struck twelve as I stepped on to the bridge, and at the same time the moon was hidden by a long black cloud. It is not a cheerful bridge in broad daylight, with its dark corners, and its ghastly roof-paintings of the "Dance of Death," but then it seemed more than usually dismal: for, below, the dark Reuss was almost invisible, as it went gliding swiftly and silently along, except where it fumed and fretted against the timbers of the old bridge; while the wind was howling in a dismal and discontented manner, as if it had conspired with the water to destroy the Mühlenbrücke,' and was made sulky by its failure. As the last vibration of the clock died away I stood in the middle of the bridge, and became conscious that there was a figure by my side, though whether it was a man or woman I could not determine because of the darkness. But I was not long in doubt.

"Do I speak to Miss Hester -?" I heard some one say in a voice which, though scarcely familiar to me, I thought I had heard before.

"I once was Miss Hester " " I replied, "but my name is now changed. What information have you to give me?" "Come here, out of the wind," the voice replied, "where we can hear one another more easily."

I felt my arm touched gently, and at the same moment the clouds broke and the moon burst forth in all her glory, and I saw before me the figure of a tall dark man: and fear, like unto the fear which I had felt long years ago in the haunted room, fell upon me.

(To be continued.)

THE LADY MARGARET 5TH BOAT, MAY 1863.

EIGHT B.A.'s stout from town came out M.A. degrees to take,
And made a vow from stroke to bow a bump or two to make.
Weary were they and jaded with the din of London town,
And they felt a tender longing for their long-lost Cap and Gown.
So they sought the old Loganus: well pleased I trow was he,
The manly forms he knew so well once more again to see:

And they cried-"O old Loganus, can'st thou find us e'er a boat,

In which our heavy carcases may o'er the waters float?"
Then laughed aloud Loganus-a bitter jest lov'd he—

And he cried "Such heavy mariners I ne'er before did see;
I have a fast commodious barge, drawn by a well-fed steed,
'Twill scarcely bear your weight I fear: for never have I see'd
Eight men so stout wish to go out a rowing in a 'height.'
Why, Gentlemen, a man of war would sink beneath your weight."
Thus spake the old Loganus, and he laughed long and loud,
And when the eight men heard his words, they stood abashed
and cowed;

For they knew not that he loved them, and that, sharply tho'

he spoke,

The old man loved them kindly, tho' he also loved his joke:

For Loganus is a Trojan, and tho' hoary be his head,

He loveth Margareta, and the ancient Johnian red.

So he brought them out an eight-oar'd tub, and oars both light

and strong,

And bade them be courageous, and row their ship along.
Then in jumped Casa Minor, the Captain of our crew,
And the gallant son of Fergus in a 'blazer' bright and new:
And Θωμᾶς ὁ Κυλίνδων full proudly grasped his our,

And 'Idowy o Xaλкoupyos, who weighs enough for "four;"

For if Jason and Medea had sailed with him for cargo,

To the bottom of the Euxine would have sunk the good ship Argo.

Then Pallidulus Bargœus, the mightiest of our crew,

Than whom no better oarsman e'er wore the Cambridge blue.

And at number six sat Peter, whom Putney's waters know;
Number seven was young Josephus, the ever-sleepless Joe:
Number eight was John Piscator, at his oar a wondrous dab,
Who, tho' all his life a fisher, yet has never caught a crab:
Last of all the martial Modius, having laid his good sword by,
Seized the rudder-strings, and uttered an invigorating cry:
"Are you ready all? Row Two, a stroke! Eyes front, and
sit at ease!

Quick March! I meant to say, Row on! and mind the time all, please."

Then sped the gallant vessel, like an arrow from a bow;

And the men stood wond'ring on the banks, to see the "Old'uns" row;

And Father Camus raised his head, and smiled upon the crew, For their swing, and time, and feather, and their forms, full well he knew.

They rowed past Barnwell's silvery pool, past Charon's gloomy

bark,

And nearly came to grief beneath the Railway rafters dark:

But down the willow-fringed Long Reach so fearful was their pace,
That joyous was each Johnian, and pale each foeman's face.
They rowed round Ditton corner, and past the pleasant Plough,
Nor listened to the wild appeal for beer that came from bow:
They rounded Grassy Corner, and its fairy forms divine,
But from the boat there wandered not an eye of all the nine:
They rowed round First-Post Corner, the Little Bridge they
passed;

And calmly took their station two places from the last.

Off went the gun! with one accord the sluggish Cam they smote, And were bumped in fifty seconds by the Second Jesus Boat.

TURGIDUS DEMEX.