ABSTRACT
Among the sufferers from truth must be enumerated Miss Helen Crosier. The mighty Columbus himself, wandering over Europe seeking for some prince to put faith in his dreams of continents beyond the seas, was not more laughed at than the above-mentioned young lady, whenever she insisted that on a certain moonlight night she had beheld suspicious-looking men prowling about the grounds at Swanborough. Her heroic behaviour in firing the gun caused innumerable allusions to be made to her great capacity for shooting with the long bow. She flew into passions which made her eyes appear most becomingly bright ; she stamped with her little foot until her heel ached ; she slapped her pretty hands until the palms tingled, but to no effect. She frequently inquired whether she ought to believe what she had seen with her own eyes, and was by way of answer favoured with several interesting instances of curious optical delusions. I t became a custom among her jocose friends, whenever they met, to inquire whether her repose had lately been disturbed any more by robbers. Very intimate friends, who dared to take liberties with the young lady, hinted that probably the robber had been some love-sick youth, about to commence a serenade beneath her lattice. "Whenever the captain wrote to his sister, he never missed inquiring whether "she had shot any more ghos t s . "These constant doubtings and contradictions began to affect the unfortunate damsel's health. She grew nervous and snappish. Her own maid, Harriet,
386 PAVED WITH GOLD.
