in Julia's chamber! My heart throbbed almost to stifling. I
would--I WOULD advance, if but to gaze upon her for a moment, and
to bless her as she slept. I DID look, I DID advance; and, O
Heaven! I saw a lamp burning, Mrs. Jow. in a night-dress, with a
very dark baby in her arms, and Julia looking tenderly at an ayah,
who was nursing another.

"Oh, Mamma," said Julia, "what would that fool Gahagan say if he
knew all?"

"HE DOES KNOW ALL!" shouted I, springing forward, and tearing down
the tatties from the window. Mrs. Jow. ran shrieking out of the
room, Julia fainted, the cursed black children squalled, and their
d-d nurse fell on her knees, gabbling some infernal jargon of
Hindustanee. Old Jowler at this juncture entered with a candle and
a drawn sword.

"Liar! scoundrel! deceiver!" shouted I. "Turn, ruffian, and defend
yourself!" But old Jowler, when he saw me, only whistled, looked
at his lifeless daughter, and slowly left the room.

Why continue the tale? I need not now account for Jowler's gloom
on receiving his letters from Benares--for his exclamation upon the
death of the Indian chief--for his desire to marry his daughter:
the woman I was wooing was no longer Miss Julia Jowler, she was
Mrs. Chowder Loll!



CHAPTER II: ALLYGHUR AND LASWAREE