he
expressed his sincere sorrow that he had cursed me for passing on him
the sentence he had so well deserved, and his great desire was to
make a humble apology to me in person. He was told that that was
impossible, as I could not come to him, nor could he go to me.
Whereupon he begged to be allowed to write this humble apology. This
he was permitted to do, and the letter from the culprit, who was
hanged that morning, I was reading at the very moment of his
execution. It contained, I believe, sincere expressions of contrition
for the cruel deed he had done, but was mostly taken up with apologies
to me for having cursed me after advising him to prepare for the doom
that awaited him. He begged my forgiveness, which, I need not say, I
freely gave.

CHAPTER XLVII

A FAREWELL MEMORY OF JACK.

Poor little Jack is dead!

It is a real grief to me. A more intelligent, faithful, and
affectionate creature never had existence, and to him I have been
indebted for very many of the happiest hours of my life.

Poor dear little Jack! he lived with me for many years; and at last, I
believe, some miscreant poisoned him, for he was taken very ill with
symptoms of strychnine, and died in a few hours in the early morning
of May 24, 1894. I was with him when he died.

I never replaced him, and to this hour have never ceased to be sad
when I think of the merciless and cruel fate by which the ruffian put
an end to his dear little life.

He was buried under some shrubs in Hyde Park, where I hope he sleeps
the sleep of good affectionate dogs.

It is ten years ago, and yet there is no abatement of my love for
him, hardly any of my sorrow. He always occupied the best seat in the
Sheriff's carriage on circuit, and looked as though he felt it was his
right. He slept by my side on a little bed of his own. At Norwich, I
think, he made his first appearance in state. The moment he entered
the house he appropriated to himself the chair of state, which had
been provided by the local upholsterer for the express use of Queen
Alexandra, then Princess of Wales, on her first visit to Norwich
to confer honour and happiness on Queen Victoria's subjects in the
eastern counties.

Nobody, however, molested Jack in his seat, and, I believe, had it
been one of the seats for the county there would have been no petition
to disturb him. He would have been as faithful a member as the
immortal Toby, M.P. for Barkshire, of Mr. Punch, to whom ever my bes