to open a credit at the Town and
County Bank with a five-hundred-pound note in my pocket.

As to Mr. Davager, I can tell you nothing more about him, except what is
derived from hearsay evidence, which is always unsatisfactory evidence.

My inestimable boy, Tom, although twice kicked off by Sam the pony, never
lost hold of the bridle, and kept his man in sight from first to last. He
had nothing particular to report except that on the way out to the Abbey
Mr. Davager had stopped at a public-house, had spoken a word or two to his
friend of the night before, and had handed him what looked like a bit of
paper. This was no doubt a clue to the thread that held the letter, to be
used in case of accidents.

In every other respect Mr. D. had ridden out and ridden in like an
ordinary sightseer. Tom reported him to me as having dismounted at the
hotel about two. At half-past I locked my office-door, nailed a card under
the knocker with "not at home till to-morrow" written on it, and retired
to a friend's house a mile or so out of the town for the rest of the day.

Mr. Davager, I have been since given to understand, left the Gatliffe Arms
that same night with his best clothes on his back, and with all the
valuable contents of his dressing-case in his pockets. I am not in a
condition to state whether he ever went through the form of asking for his
bill or not; but I can positively testify that he never paid it, and that
the effects left in his bedroom did not pay it either.

When I add to these fragments of evidence that he and I have never met
(luckily for me, you will say) since I jockeyed him out of his bank-note,
I have about fulfilled my implied contract as maker of a statement with
you, sir, as hearer of a statement. Observe the expression, will you? I
said it was a Statement before I began; and I say it's a Statement now
I've done. I defy you to prove it's a Story! How are you getting on with
my portrait? I like you very well, Mr. Artist; but if you have been taking
advantage of my talking to shirk your work, as sure as you're alive I'll
split upon you to the Town Council!

Books.

They are delightful when prosperity happily smiles; when
adversity threatens they are inseparable comforters. Arts
and sciences, the benefits of which no mind can calculate,
depend upon books.

--Richard Aungerville (Richard de Bury, tutor of Edward III,
1281-1345).

A HOROSCOPE OF THE MONTHS.

BY MARI