``Infected with the new doctrines,''said a third, eyeing the direction through his glass in passing;``set himself in opposition to the last Marquis, abandoned the estates when he inherited them, and left them to the ruffian herd.

said the stage whispering ruffian, and both robbers fled by the way of the back door, shutting off their bull's eye as they ran.

This reflection kept me perplexed and longing to know really and truly the whole life and wondrous deeds of our famous Spaniard, Don Quixote of La Mancha, light and mirror of Manchegan chivalry, and the first that in our age and in these so evil days devoted himself to the labour and exercise of the arms of knight-errantry, righting wrongs, succouring widows, and protecting damsels of that sort that used to ride about, whip in hand, on their palfreys, with all their virginity about them, from mountain to mountain and valley to valley--for, if it were not for some ruffian, or boor with a hood and hatchet, or monstrous giant, that forced them, there were in days of yore damsels that at the end of eighty years, in all which time they had never slept a day under a roof, went to their graves as much maids as the mothers that bore them.

I clambered out upon the sill, but I hesitated to jump until I should have heard what passed between my saviour and the ruffian who pursued me.

(I am quite convinced he could not have uttered three words, but for the amazing energy with which this word inspired him when he felt it coming.) 'Inviolable secret--a--from the whole world--a--no exceptions--this day week--a--at breakfast-time--a--everybody present--including aunt--a--and extremely friendly gentleman--to be at the hotel at Canterbury--a--where--Mrs. Micawber and myself--Auld Lang Syne in chorus--and--a--will expose intolerable ruffian--HEEP!

was imposed upon, kept in ignorance, and deluded, in every possible way; yet, that all this while, the ruffian--HEEP--was professing unbounded gratitude to, and unbounded friendship for, that much-abused gentleman.