This  closed  my  correspondence  for  the  pre-
sent, and  I  aroee  wearied  with  my  labours,  and
yet  greatly  rejoicing  in  their  fruits.  It  was
nofw  Ute,  but  exdCement  prevented  sleep ;  and
before  retiring  fbr  the  night,  I  could  not  help
Jookng  in  npoo  my  guests.  Gaptam  Poke  had
gone  to  a  room  in  another  part  ot  the  hotel,  but
the  &m3y  of  amiabk  strangers  were  fkst  adeep
in  the  ante-diamber.  lliey  had  sopped  hear-
tily, ss  I  was  assured,  and  were  now  indulging
in  a  happy  but  temporary  oblivion,  to  use  an
approved  expressoo,  of  aU  their  wrongs.  Satis*-
fied  with  this  state  of  things,  I  now  sought  my
own  pillow.  Off  according  to  a  favourite  phrase
of  Mr.  Noah  Poke,  I  also  ''  turned  in."^


212  THE   MOMIKINS.
CHAPTER  IX.
THE    coif IfENCEMEKT  OF  WONDBRS,  WHICH  ARE  THE  MORE
EXTBAORDINA.RT  ON  ACCOUNT  OF  THEIR  TRUTH.
I  DARB  say  my  head  had  been  on  the  pillow
fully  an  hour  before  sleep  closed  my  eyes.
During  this  time  I  had  abundant  occasion  to
understand  the  activity  of  what  are  called  the
"  busy  thoughts.^  Mine  were  feverish,  glow-
ing,  and  restless.  They  wandered  over  a  wide
field;— -one  that  included  Anna,  with  her
beauty,  her  mild  truth,  her  womanly  softness
and  her  womanly  cruelty ;  Captain  Poke  and
his  peculiar  opinions;  the  amiable  family  of
quadrupeds  and  their  wounded  sensibilities;
the  excellenoes  of  the  social-stake  system ;  and,
in  short,  most  of  that  which  I  had  seen  and


THE  MONIKINS.  S13

beard  dnring  the  last  four-and-twenty  hours.
