Page:Knight's Quarterly Magazine series 1 volume 3 (August–November 1824).djvu/458

 neither hanged, nor apparently making any preparations to be hanged. In his tenth year he had been sent to a great public school at Mannheim; and very singular it was to observe the different impressions which that event had produced in two adjoining houses. In the one house was heard the mother of Mr. Ferdinand, weeping day after day for the loss of “her brave—her beautiful!” whose gaiety and radiant spirit of youthful frolic had filled her house with laughter and with involuntary gladness like that of birds in spring. In the other was heard Mr. Mule, chuckling for at least three weeks that the “young malefactor” was sent to a distance; and sent to a place moreover where he might chance to learn, experimentally, what it was to have a snow-ball lodged under the ear; where his own feet, as well as other persons’, might chance to be tripped up on a lubricated path; and where his own shins, as well as those of elderly gentlemen, might happen to be broken over a string in the dusk. Under what different angles was Mr. Ferdinand’s character contemplated from these two contiguous stations; seen from his mother’s drawing room, it wore the very happiest aspect of hope and vernal promise; seen from Mr. Mule’s library, it seemed a character that belonged to the mere scape-goat of Europe. Truth compels us to add that the mother’s view was the more correct. Mr. Ferdinand had gone through the school with applause; and, spite of his unconquerable spirit of frolic and mischief, had borne the character of the most good-natured boy in Mannheim. From Mannheim he was transformed to the university of Jena, where he had supported his character as a scholar; and had since served two campaigns in the Prussian cavalry with distinguished reputation, and latterly with some special marks of royal favour. In consequence he was spoken of in his native town with universal respect; the gallows, if it must come, seemed at least to be postponed to an indefinite distance; and even Mr. Mule began to doubt—if not whether Mr. Ferdinand would be hanged—yet whether he himself should live to see Mr. Ferdinand hanged. In general, at least; but there was one case in which he did not doubt. Whenever he looked into Happilius, whenever he reflected upon basilisks, whenever he meditated upon illuminations, he was sure to cry out in conclusion “And, sir, I shall live to see him hanged.”

Time, however, and change, at length brought Mr. Mule to milder sentiments; all about him began to be proud of their young townsman. Mrs. Lawler was still next-door-neighbour, and had it in her power to do many neighbourly offices; patriotism and gratitude, therefore, alike appealed to him for some modifica-