her say she'd never trust dear Papa further
than she could see him--not always that.

At last he slept.--No; he didn't. Well, I never thought he could have
such art. But perhaps he suspected my thoughts; imagined I was watching
him! When this entered my head, I determined to affect sleep myself; and
so see which of us could do it the best.

So I settled myself and--again being sure of the key; yes, there it
was--safe enough--and began to appear to go to sleep. In a little while,
I had so beautifully deceived him that he was fast--fast as a church.

--It couldn't have been above five minutes, but I had dozed off; and
woke with such a start!--Almost instinctively I placed my hand under the
pillow; the key was safe.

"What's the matter, LOTTY? Dreaming?"--said FRED; for I had either
awakened him, or he was awake all the time. "What's it about?" he asked.

"Nothing in particular," said I, "good night, love; or you'll be too
late for MR. TRUEPENNY."

At the word, I thought I heard FRED sigh--just gently sigh--and the
sound went like a dagger through me!

And then what a dream I'd had: and it couldn't have lasted above
three--certainly not five--minutes! What a dream! Such a confusion of
things! I thought I still grasped the key, and it turned in my hand to a
pistol! And then I thought I dropt it on the ground, and it went hopping
along like a grasshopper, popping and going off as it went. Then I
thought I was resolved FRED should not get up and go out--and then I
suddenly found myself tying the sleeves of his shirt in double-knots,
and then emptying the water-jug into both his boots! Then I thought I
went through a churchyard, and saw that odious TRUEPENNY--drest like a
pantomime clown--digging a grave; and as he dug it, singing a song about
spades being trumps. Then I thought FRED was suddenly by my side, and
that dreadful TRUEPENNY took up a shovelful of earth, and was about to
throw it, with a laugh, in the face of FRED, when I--I tried to scream,
or _did_ scream, and awoke!

Oh! how I did wish we were well at home! And how I did lie--lie upon
thorns and listen for him to go well to sleep, that I might creep out
and learn everything of JOSEPHINE. And how I blamed myself that, before
I came to bed, I didn't go and hear all she had to say!--But then I was
in such a hurry to have FRED all safe, and the key in my own
possession--safe under my pillow--and I thought he would so soon go to
sleep, and he hadn't! Which ma