of the canvas. In short, the
squire wanted a sign-board instead of a picture, and he at last got what
he wanted to his heart's content.

One evening, while Valentine--still deeply immersed in the difficulties
of depicting the cover-hack--was returning to the Rectory, after a day's
work at the Squire's house, his attention was suddenly attracted in the
high street of Rubbleford, by a flaming placard pasted up on a dead wall
opposite the market-house.

He immediately joined the crowd of rustics congregated round the
many-colored and magnificent sheet of paper, and read at the top of
it, in huge blue letters:--"JUBBER'S CIRCUS. THE EIGHTH WONDER OF THE
WORLD." After this came some small print, which nobody lost any time
in noticing. But below the small print appeared a perfect galaxy of
fancifully shaped scarlet letters, which fascinated all eyes, and
informed the public that the equestrian company included "MISS FLORINDA
BEVERLEY, known," (here the letters turned suddenly green) "wherever
the English language was known, as The Amazonian Empress of Equitation."
This announcement was followed by the names of inferior members of the
Company; by a program of the evening's entertainments; by testimonials
extracted from the provincial press; by illustrations of gentlemen with
lusty calves and spangled drawers, and of ladies with smiling faces,
shameless petticoats, and pirouetting legs. These illustrations, and
the particulars which preceded them were carefully digested by all Mr.
Blyth's neighbors; but Mr. Blyth himself passed them over unnoticed.
His eye had been caught by something at the bottom of the placard, which
instantly absorbed his whole attention.

In this place the red letters appeared again, and formed the following
words and marks of admiration:--

THE MYSTERIOUS FOUNDLING!
AGED TEN YEARS!!
TOTALLY DEAF AND DUMB!!!

Underneath came an explanation of what the red letters referred to,
occupying no less than three paragraphs of stumpy small print, every
word of which Valentine eagerly devoured. This is what he read:--

"Mr. Jubber, as proprietor of the renowned Circus, has the honor of
informing the nobility, gentry, and public, that the above wonderful
Deaf and Dumb Female Child will appear between the first and second
parts of the evening's performances. Mr. J. has taken the liberty
of entitling this Marvel of Nature, The Mysterious Foundling; no one
knowing who her father is, and her mother