"Well, I've no doubt that he thinks you are in the wrong," said I. "Dine
with me this evening there, and I'll undertake to make matters straight
for you both. Hearty is a good and honest man, and is one of my best
friends. I have known him these nineteen years. If you refuse to come,
it will be an offence to me, mind that." After a time I succeeded in softening him down a little, till I at
length drew from him a reluctant consent, and, according to his word, he
appeared that evening at our inn. A grand dinner was prepared, before partaking of which I succeeded in
joining the hands of the two bitter enemies. Seeing that the hour had arrived for the divulging of the secret I
explained all in a few words, threw off my disguise and craved his
blessing. Old Sykes was a crusty sort of a cove, and I expected that there would
have been a scare, but we had got him into a good humour previously, and
he was so much amused, in spite of himself, at the whole scheme that he
wrung my hand heartily and laughed much over my odd adventures. Dinner passed off gaily, and I secretly put the doctor in possession of
his old clothes again. I paid him the money I owed him, and for ever
kept secret the name of the doctor who had brought me to life again so
cleverly. *       *       *       *       *

"Why, Jack," said Mr. Oldstone, at the conclusion of our host's recital,
"you can tell a story like the best of us." "Ay, that he can indeed," chimed in Mr. Crucible and Mr. Hardcase. "There is a great deal of poetry in Jack's story," remarked Mr.
Parnassus. Mr. Blackdeed said that it ought to be adapted to the stage. "And was it ever discovered who unearthed you, Jack?" inquired Dr.
Bleedem, who had a fellow feeling for the Dr. Slasher of Jack's
narrative, as he could imagine what his own feelings would have been had
he fallen a victim to the infuriated villagers. "No, sir," replied our host, "I never let out the truth, although I was
pestered with questions all day long by every one in the village. At
length, however, an old doctor in these parts died from the epidemic,
and after his death, I gave out to the villagers that he was the man who
had dug me up." "Ah!" said Dr. Bleedem, "there was no harm in that." "And the two body-snatchers, did you ever see _them_ again?" asked
Professor Cyanite. "Ha! ha!" laughed our host, "and that _was_ a joke, surely. One evening,
shortly after my resurrection, leastways before everyone knew that I had
come to life again, I was strolling through the cemetery alone where I
had been buried, and sitting down upon my own grave, I began meditating
upon my miraculous escape from death, when who should pass by but my two
friends, Tom and Bill. I looked up as they passed. You should have seen
how they took to their heels. My eyes! I shall never forget it." "That was a rare joke, indeed," said our artist, "and that other young
fellow, young Rashly, did you see any more of him?" "Ay, sir," replied our host, "and that was another good joke. The Sunday
after our marriage I appeared in the village church with Molly. How the
people did stare, to be sure! I recognised young Rashly in the Squire's
pew with his father. He could not see me, as I was behind a pillar, and
he had not yet heard of my coming to life again. Seeing that he was
without a hymn book, I stepped out suddenly from my pew, and crossing
the aisle, offered him mine. I never shall forget his face. He turned as
pale as a ghost, and was obliged to support himself against the back of
the pew. He was nigh fainting, and his father was obliged to lead him
out of church." "Your resurrection must have made quite a sensation in the village
then," said McGuilp. "My word, it did, sir, and no mistake," answered the landlord. "Everybody in the village and for miles round it wanted to shake me by
the hand and welcome me back to life. People used to come from long
distances to hear me recount my adventures, till I grew quite sick of
it, and shut myself up and wouldn't see nobody." "Ay, ay, tedious work I've no doubt, telling the same story over and
over again to every new comer," said Mr. Oldstone. "But tell us, Jack,
did young Rashly ever discover who it was that gave him the thrashing?" "Yes, sir, that, too, came out in time," said our host, "and devilish
sheepish he looked, so they said, when he heard it was his old rival in
disguise. He would have liked to have had me up about it before the
assizes, but he didn't like the idea of exposing himself, and so the
matter dropped. After a time, however, finding that all the boys in the
village laughed at him whenever he walked abroad, he went to London, and
I have never heard anything more of him." At this moment someone knocked at the door. "Come in!" called out several voices at once. The door opened ajar, and the head of our hostess timidly appeared at
the aperture. "Beg pardon, gentlemen," said that worthy dame, "but could Helen be
spared a little just to help me a bit?" "Oh! how very annoying!" cried our artist, "just as the weather is
clearing up and I was making up my mind for a long sitting." "I am afraid I can't do without her, sir, just now," said our hostess,
"but if you wouldn't mind waiting an hour or so, she will be at
liberty." "An hour without Helen!" exclaimed several members at once. "Oh,
impossible! and then to be snatched from us again so soon!" "I'll tell you what it is, Mr. McGuilp, and you, too, Dame Hearty," said
Mr. Oldstone, "you are to blame, both of you. Such conduct can't be
suffered to go unpunished; therefore, in the name of the club I condemn
you both to contribute to the common entertainment by telling a story,
each of you, when next called upon." "Hear, hear!" cried several voices. "Yes, a story from Dame Hearty, and a still longer one from Mr. McGuilp
for having robbed us of Helen--a most just sentence!" "Oh, gentlemen!" said our hostess modestly. "You wouldn't care to hear
any of my stories; besides, I've forgotten them all long ago." "Come now, Dame Hearty, there is no backing out," said Mr. Oldstone. "A
sentence is a sentence." "Well, sir, if it must be so, I'll try and think of one whenever the
gentlemen of this respectable club choose to command my services. Come,
Helen!" And our hostess led away her fair daughter by the hand amidst
the groans of her ardent admirers. "Now, Mr. McGuilp," said Mr. Oldstone as the door closed after Helen and
her mother, "we have a full hour before us. I call upon you to fill up
that period to the satisfaction of the club." "Yes, yes!" shouted a chorus of voices; "out with it; no mercy on him. Let justice be done." "Well, gentlemen, if you will allow me a moment to compose myself, I'll
endeavour to satisfy you," said our artist. Then resting his head on his
hand as if to call up from the depths of his memory some long-forgotten
tale or legend, he said, "Gentlemen, I recollect a story in our family,
handed down to me from some remote ancestor. I used to be frightened
with it in my childhood.