foreign tongue at his command, irrespective of the consideration whether the language is more or less comprehensible to his companion. Thus, if an Italian of education, familiar with English as a scholar, but speaking with a foreign accent, addresses an English stranger in his own language, the latter, if unaccustomed to speak Italian, finds himself instinctively replying in French, although English would be at once more convenient to himself and more intelligible to his companion.

Add to this one further remark, that while the sound of one's native tongue in a foreign land falls on the ear like music, it must be when spoken by a countryman, or, still more musically, by a countrywoman. But to hear it spoken by a foreigner, unless he be a rarely educated, and highly bred foreigner, inclines one irresistibly to button up one's pockets, to grasp one's hat, gloves, cane, or any portable object within reach, and to feel a sort of irritable tingling in one's toes.

"Mr. Carrington, here. Mister, Mossoo Macrocleptos," said Mr. MacAndrew, very loud. 'Mossoo, he speak French-understandparley-voo."

"Mais, Messire, parrle-t-il Français?" said Mr. Macrocleptos, turning right round at Guy, without, however, quitting his hold on the button-hole of the manager. "Très peu, Monsieur," quoth Guy.

"C'est pour ce que reccarde la faprication tes rotaie pour la tchemin ferrata," said Mr. Macrocleptos with extreme volubility. His words came out as if fired from a repeating rifle, and his eyes kept time with the fire. Very glibly he continued to explain the extreme commercial value of the projected railway from the metropolis of Athens to the port and

harbour of the Piræus, illustrating his harangue by reference to numerous papers, aided by maps and sections.

"Whatever is it all about, Carrington ? " said the despairing

manager.

The population of the city of Athens, it appeared, amounted to 41,298 inhabitants; that of the Piræus to 6425. The imports during the first year had amounted to 49,109,666 drachmæ; the exportation to 32,323,726 drachmæ.

"All very right, no doubt," said Mr. MacAndrew, " but I do not see what we have to do with it."

"He seems resolved to tell his story his own way," said Guy.

His own way was long, and had many turnings, or at all events many recurrences of pouncing down upon the papers, and vehemently pointing out to Guy, with an occasional divergence to the manager, the salient or most satisfactory features of the case.

So soon as Guy began to read what was thus indicated, Mr. Macrocleptos thrust his face between Guy and the papers, turned of course toward the former, and started on a new score. Nearly an hour was thus consumed by the voluble foreigner; not wasted as far as words were concerned, for they were crammed in by the bushel, in elucidating the unusual advantages, and the certainly high percentage offered by the Athens and Piræus Railway ten per cent. on on the capital, in two years time was the minimum possible return; the maximum, swelled by the contributions of passengers, troops, government officials, English travellers, pilgrims, merchandise, carriages, horses, cattle, and the products of the famous oyster-bed lying off Cape Spartivento, was something

troppo magnifico pour s'exprimer sans donner l'idée di una essaggerazione," said Mr. Macrocleptos.

"So much the better for the Greeks," said Mr. MacAndrew. "But what all this has to do with a contract for rails passes my comprehension. Carrington, does he mean to go on all day? because if so, I will just take a turn round the works, where everything is getting into irreparable confusion as soon as my back is turned, and come again in an about an hour."

Mr. Macrocleptos, understanding no English, came suddenly to a pause-changed his front, and explained with more precision, though not with less volubility, that the object of his visit was to purchase five thousand tons of rails, of a section of which he produced a steel template, or model, for the Athens and Piræus Railway, to be delivered on board ship at Plumport, with the shortest possible delay.

Here Mr. MacAndrew was at home; drachmæ were replaced by francs, francs per kilogrammes were converted by Guy into pounds per ton, and the result of this second part of the conversation was, that for the price of eight pounds ten shillings per ton, five hundred tons could be shipped from Plumport in six weeks from the date of order, and the same quantity each succeeding week until the order was completed.

"C'était perfettamente ce qu'il fallait," said Mr. Macrocleptos, and prepared to take his departure.

"What's he up to?" said Mr. MacAndrew. "What the dickens does he mean? What does he say about terms."

"Oh, of course the usual terms," he intimated to Guy, on the translation of the question.

"Tell him that the usual terms, to foreigners, are prompt. Payment over the counter against the goods, you know. Once at sea, you may whistle for your money, otherwise

666

"Plumville Works,' take headed paper," quoth the manager, July, 1852. Messrs. Macrocleptos and Goldwin. Gentlemen, no, Dear Sirs.'"

"Best waste no more time," soliloquised the manager. "This Athens railwayman, has made a woeful hole in mine. Boy-Stumps, illustrious Lord Stumps! eh, Carrington? he'll never lose that," added Mr. MacAndrew, with a laugh.

Stumps appeared, wisely provided with a small, three-legged stool, on which he arranged himself at a corner of the manager's table, and prepared to write.

"Where am I," inquired the manager. "Oh! 'Dear sirs, re

shares. There was no circumventing MacAndrew, who stuck doggedly to his point, and attempted to get rid of the Greek. Then the latter took another start. Cashof course he would pay cash. But when all seemed settled, it transpired that this meant "obligations," or in other words, "bonds of the company, which were better than cash, and for which any banker would give a premium."

"Then why doesn't he take them to the banker?" said the manager. "Look here, Mr. Carrington, tell him that he has cost me more in time than the rails are worth, that I won't listen to a word more now, if he was to give me the city of Athens as a present; and that we'll write by to-night's post to the firm in Paris, and send a copy of the letter, or a translation if you like, to his house," and the manager left the room.

Tedious would it be to tell how it took four letters exchanged with Paris, and six visits from Mr. Macrocleptos, at an average cost of three hours of Guy's time per visit, to arrange that the rails should be delivered against the receipt of bills of exchange, accepted by Goldwin and Macrocleptos, and guaranted by the Bank of Athens.

"I think we have got it all right now, Carrington," said the manager. "I should have charged him five shillings a ton more if I had known than there would have been all this bother. However, we shall save the commission-that's one comfort."

Next day, however, came a neat and precise letter from Mr. Macrocleptos, inclosing his little account for 6251. commission on the sale of 5000 tons of rails supplied to the Greek Government, and guaranteed by the bankers of the said govern

ment.

"Tell him to go to-to Jericho," said Mr. MacAndrew, on receiving

intelligence of this new phase of the matter; nor could Guy, for some days, obtain any more definite instruction on the point.

Meantime Mr. Macrocleptos became almost as constant a haunter of the corridor of the Plumville works as the boy Jones himself. He discovered Guy's room, and was wont to enter at all hours with a persistent knock and many apologies. The civility of Guy waned as his torment lengthened. At last Mr. Macrocleptos intimated that if he (Guy) would obtain the payment of the 6251., he should have five per cent. on the amount for so doing. The offer, no doubt would have been increased and increased, even up to the odd hundreds, if Guy had given any scope for the bargain. "Mais, sortez donc, Monsieur," shouted Guy, in indignation. Mr. Macrocleptos fled, but the next morning by half-past seven was at the door of the Hall demanding "his dear friend, Messire Carton." James let him into the hall, and he let himself into the library, whence he was with difficulty dislodged; Guy having made his way off across the hall, on hearing of the lodgment made in his defences. "Never let that man inside the house again, on any pretext," said he. He locked his door at the works; but as he was returning to the park to dinner, Mr. Macrocleptos joined him at the lodge, accompanied him to the Hall door, and was only prevented from entering with him by the actual physical opposition of the footman. The letters with which he pelted Guy during these times, were on the average three per diem; "It is enough to wear out the patience of Job," said Guy, too angry for once to laugh. He feared to find the dreaded features of Mr. Macrocleptos peering from between his sheets. They did even that in his dreams.

CHAPTER XVII.

MR. MACANDREW'S SUSPICIONS ARE

EXCITED.

MR. MACROCLEPTOS was irrepressible. It might be unjust to say that he enjoyed being snubbed, but he did not appear to object to it. Contempt seemed only to goad him into new activity, his anxious glance at the goal which he set before his view being undisturbed by any extrinsic considerations. As grass thrives and strengthens when nibbled and trampled under foot, so did the fertile resources of Mr. Macrocleptos thrive under contempt, and denial. His generalship consisted in constantly bearing down upon the same point, from whatever direction he might be driven, by his last discomfiture, to make his approach.

In all critical circumstances there is a best course to take, as there is also, invariably, a worst. Long experience of the character of Mr. Macrocleptos would have indicated the proper method to pursue with him, as to his commission, regard being had to the actual money-time which he consumed by his persecution, as well as to the peace of mind which he destroyed by his attacks. That true course would have been literally and actually to kick him out of the works, and then to offer him a cheque for the odd 251. out of his 6257., on the condition of his writing a grateful and legally satisfactory letter, with the option of being kicked again if he elected that method of payment. But Guy did not as yet know enough of business to take this course; and Mr. MacAndrew did not know enough of Mr. Macrocleptos to adopt it, though it certainly once or twice occurred to him as feasible, and perhaps desirable.

How long the persecution might have been continued is a matter of doubt, for the time of Mr. Macro

cleptos' residence in some hidden lodgings in the neighbourhood of Plumtown or of Plumport had been little more than a fortnight, when Mr. MacAndrew entered Guy's room one morning

"There's that Greek friend of yours hanging about as usual this morning, Carrington," said he; “I stumbled over him in the passage. I've half a mind to have him pitched into the canal."

"I wish you would," said Guy. "I daresay you do," retorted the manager. "Ar'n't you a pretty fellow to try and put such ideas into one's head?" and he sat down on the corner of Guy's table and kicked it a little, reflectively, with

his heel.

"Do you know, Carrington, I don't half like this affair. A chap who will hang about for a week to collar six hundred pounds-of which he has as much chance as of the moon-is hardly the sort of man to sell five thousand tons of rails toI don't mean to deliver them."

"But can't they make you," said Guy.

"No-I think not," said the manager. "I seldom take a lawyer's advice on a point of law, you see, because their sole and exclusive object is to run up bills; but, I think, they could only go against us for any difference in price. And as rails are going down that would be against them.'

"I wish you would let me write and tell him, then," said Guy, "and let him do his worst. I am very much afraid that I shall be driven to kick him, some day. He came yesterday evening to the kitchendoor of the Hall, and tried to persuade the kitchen-maid to let him come to my bedroom."

"Ha! ha!" said the manager. "How did he find out that the kitchen-maid knew the way?"

"The housekeeper informed me," said Guy, rather stiffly.