seated together by a blazing wood fire in Newera Ellia, discussing at the same time, some excellent claret he had brought up from Colombo, and the last speech of Sir Robert Peel brought out by the Overland Mail. "Do you want to make your fortune?" was his question.

"Does an Alderman love turtle?" was my reply.

"You do then," said he; "I am glad of it. Now listen to me. The only way to bring the British public to its senses anent the matter of Protection and Free Trade, is to publish a popular work—a novel, suppose—in favour of the former and against the latter."

"An excellent project," said I, "there is but one thing wanting, and that is the work itself. Its publication in a proper form to attract public attention may be a difficulty, but until the work itself is forthcoming, it would be folly to discuss that point.'

Quite true," was his reply, as he drew his chair nearer; "I am glad to see you taking up the matter in so business-like a

way.

The work is written,-nearly ready, sir, at this moment for publication."

"Indeed!" said I, seeing how the wind lay; "indeed!"

My intention was to have offered it to the Observer, but as I see you are taking up the matter of Free Trade roundly now, and not merely nibbling at it, I have determined on letting it appear in the Herald."

The mystery is out, thought I, scarcely able to suppress a smile at the idea. "Do you think then," I asked, "that its publication in the Ceylon Herald will excite so much attention as to bring the British public to its senses ?"

"Listen to me," said he, dogmatically, clasping his right knee, after his custom, in both his hands; "When it has been published in the Herald, chapter by chapter-it contains eighty-nine chapters, and you publish one hundred and four Heralds a year, so that it may easily be completed within the year-it will excite some attention, I flatter myself. People in India will talk about it, and write about it. Distance lends enchantment to the view, and when the public in England first hear of it, as coming from Ceylon, their curiosity will be excited, and I shall have an edition of eight or ten thousand copies ready

for sale at a mere trifle each; no threevolumed affair, at a guinea and a half, but a well-printed book of six or seven hundred pages all for half-a-crown, or less. I want no profit-none, sir, none, not a farthing. My supposition is based on the work exciting attention in India, but that is a certainty, for I have contributed to more papers than the Herald, I assure you, so that you see the whole matter is in a nutshell."

"Which you can open when you please,” I added.

"Which I can open when I please, to continue the figure, as you say-ha! ha!”

The project did not appear a very feasible one to me at the moment, and the more I reflected on it afterwards, the more I became convinced of its utter absurdity; but Katchit had set his heart upon it, and an evening was appointed when I was to dine with him and hear a portion of the great work read which was to change the destiny of Britain.

CHAPTER V.

THE REVOLUTIONARY NOVEL.

"Now, what shall it be ?" said he, when every thing had been prepared for the lecture, and he was opening a huge pile of MS., formidably tied up with red tape. "I have been working to-day at the conclusion, in which, of course, everybody gets killed or married. Shall I read you the opening chapter ?"

"By no means, was my reply. "I have an insuperable dislike to opening chapters. But you forget I don't know the title of the book yet."

"It's only a name," said he "Horatio Clomstock, or the Soldier of Fortune'-the great art of the thing is, you see, that, being the autobiography of a soldier, no one will expect to find anything about politics in it; and then,

my

hero being in a regiment of the line, I am able to take him all over the world, and to describe the Cape, Canton, Ceylon, Calcutta, Canada. The work contains, sir, ludicrous, pathetic, sentimental, philosophical, sporting, and political chapters."

"Excellent!" said I. "Then you conduct him to Ceylon ?"

"Yes; and he becomes acquainted with coffee-planters, merchants, and a host of people, all which permits the introduction of commercial topics beautifully; that's the great art of the work," continued Katchit, rubbing his head with his handkerchief, for he was gradually working himself up to excitement.

"And you have sporting scenes, too?" I asked.

"Certainly," said he, with enthusiasm ; " admirable sporting scenes. I had Major Rogers dining with me half-a-dozen times, just to get elephant stories out of him for Horatio Clomstock. Little did he know what I was pumping him for-ha! ha!"-and, so saying, Katchit mopped his forehead and bald head again.

I love sport," said I; "let us have a sporting chapter."