class="headnote">FRANKFORT.

HOW THEY VISITED A “QUARTER” OF THE CITY OF FRANKFORT, AND WHAT THEY SAW THERE!

ROBINSON HERE WROTE HIS CELEBRATED LETTER TO THE “TIMES,” ON THE SUBJECT OF THE DEFICIENCY OF SOAP AND WATER, FROM WHICH, AS WE HAVE SEEN IN A FORMER PAGE, HE SUFFERED SO GRIEVOUSLY. IT WAS CONCEIVED IN TERMS OF INDIGNANT ELOQUENCE; AND DREW A TERRIBLE PICTURE OF THE STATE OF SOCIAL, POLITICAL, AND RELIGIOUS DEGRADATION INTO WHICH A COUNTRY MUST HAVE SUNK, WHERE SUCH THINGS COULD BE TOLERATED.

AS THEY WALKED THROUGH THE TOWN, BENT UPON SEEING THE ARIADNE, AND UNCONSCIOUS OF DANGER, SUDDENLY AN OBJECT APPEARED IN SIGHT THAT FILLED THEM WITH TERROR. IT WAS THE “BORE!” STEPPING JAUNTILY ALONG ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE STREET. TO HESITATE WAS TO BE LOST! SO THEY PLUNGED INTO THE NEAREST SHOP FOR PROTECTION, AND STOOD THERE BREATHLESS WITH EXPECTATION AND FEAR. PRESENTLY JONES—PUTTING HIS HEAD VERY GRADUALLY OUT— RECONNOITRED, AND FINDING ALL SAFE THEY RESUMED THEIR WAY.

ROBINSON THINKS IT “THE THING” TO ENCOURAGE NATIVE INDUSTRY WHEREVER HE GOES, AND SO BUYS A GERMAN PIPE.

HEIDELBERG.

“KELLNER!”

WHILE BROWN, JONES, AND ROBINSON SUPPED, A PARTY OF PHILOSOPHERS CARRY ON AN ÆSTHETICAL DISCUSSION, WITH AN ACCOMPANIMENT OF PIPES AND BEER.

“*   *   *   THE NIGHT WAS BEAUTIFUL, SO WE DETERMINED AFTER SUPPER TO HAVE A LOOK AT THE CELEBRATED CASTLE—JONES AND I DID, THAT IS TO SAY, FOR ROBINSON WAS SO FATIGUED WITH TRAVEL THAT HE DECLINED MOVING, MUTTERING SOMETHING ABOUT ‘CASTLE CAN WAIT.’ WE ASCENDED; THE MOON SHONE BRIGHTLY THROUGH THE RUINS, AND BATHED THE LANDSCAPE IN ITS SILVERY LIGHT, THE BEAUTIFUL NECKAR FLOWING AT OUR FEET. UNDER US LAY THE TOWN, A THOUSAND LIGHTS TWINKLING IN THE STILLNESS.”   *   *   “SUDDENLY, TO OUR HORROR, THERE APPEARED UPON THE TERRACE ‘THE BORE!’” —Extract from Brown’s Journal.

“AT LAST HE LEFT US. BUT NOT BEFORE HE HAD TAKEN FROM HIS POCKET A LETTER RECEIVED THAT MORNING FROM GREEN (’YOU KNOW GREEN, OF COURSE,’ HE SAID, ‘EVERYBODY DOES’), AND READ IT ALOUD FROM BEGINNING TO END. IT TOLD OF A ‘GOOD THING’ SAID AT THE CLUB BY SMITH; AND OF TWO MARRIAGES, AND A DUEL LIKELY TO COME OFF, BESIDES SEVERAL INTERESTING PARTICULARS REGARDING THE WINNER OF THE ST. LEGER.” —Ibid. WHEN JONES AND BROWN WERE LEFT ONCE MORE ALONE, THEY WANDERED AND PONDERED AMONGST THE RUINS, AND MORALISED OVER THE INSTABILITY OF THINGS—THEY WERE EVEN BECOMING SENTIMENTAL—WHEN, SUDDENLY, A TERRIFIC SOUND WAS HEARD—LIKE THE BARKING OF A DOG—AND THE NEXT MOMENT THE ANIMAL HIMSELF WAS SEEN EMERGING FROM THE DARKNESS, AND MAKING TOWARDS THEM AT THE TOP OF HIS SPEED. THEY TURNED AND FLED!

MEETING BY MOONLIGHT.

ROBINSON, AFTER THE DEPARTURE OF JONES AND BROWN, SEATED HIMSELF BEFORE THE FIRE AND FELL FAST ASLEEP.

HE CONTINUED IN THAT STATE, NOTWITHSTANDING THAT THE PHILOSOPHERS BECAME VERY NOISY, AND EVEN WARLIKE.

—AND ALTHOUGH—AFTER THE LATTER HAD RETIRED (FORTUNATELY WITHOUT COMING TO BLOWS)—HIS CHAIR TOPPLED OVER, HE QUIETLY ASSUMED A HORIZONTAL POSITION.

FANCY THE FEELINGS OF JONES AND BROWN ON RETURNING, AND FINDING THEIR FRIEND LYING ON HIS BACK UPON THE FLOOR, SNORING!

THEY LIFTED HIM UP, AND CARRIED HIM OFF TO BED.

NEXT MORNING THEY ENTERTAINED ROBINSON WITH A THRILLING ACCOUNT OF THE DANGERS OF THEIR EXPEDITION, IN WHICH THAT DREADFUL DOG FILLED A VERY LARGE SPACE.

THE ABOVE WILL GIVE SOME FAINT IDEA OF WHAT THEY PICTURED TO THEMSELVES (AND TO ROBINSON).

THE REVIEW.

Brown, Jones, and Robinson have arrived at ——, the capital of ——, a small German state (we won’t say which, as it would be giving it an undue distinction, and might offend the others).

They have been received with distinguished consideration, the “local” paper having announced their arrival as Count Robinson, Sir Brown, and the Rev. Jones. They have been invited to be present at a grand review, and Robinson—who amongst other necessaries in those portmanteaus of his, carried a uniform as Captain of Yeomanry—thought that this was just the proper occasion to appear in it. Accordingly, he rode