Part 25 (1/2)

”What is it, sir?” he asked blandly, but rinkled brow

”Mr Bourne, have you any castles in Spain?” said I, without preface He looked atto see radually s into the street were really, I have no doubt, feasting upon the Spanish landscape

”Toohis head and without addressing ht, that he had too much impracticable property elsewhere to own so much in Spain: so I asked:--

”Will you tell me what you consider the shortest and safest route thither, Mr Bourne? for, of course, a man who drives such an immense trade with all parts of the world will know all that I have come to inquire”

”My dear sir,” answered he, wearily, ”I have been trying all my life to discover it; but none of my shi+ps have ever been there--none ofold-dust from Guinea, ivory, pearls, and precious stones from every part of the earth; but not a fruit, not a solitary flower, froents, and travellers of all kinds, philosophers, pleasure hunters, and invalids, in all sorts of shi+ps, to all sorts of places, but none of the poet, and he died in a madhouse”

”Mr Bourne, will you take five thousand at ninety-seven?” hastily denized as a broker ”We'llof it”

Bourne nodded assent, and the broker disappeared

”Happy man!” muttered the merchant, as the broker went out; ”he has no castles in Spain”

”I a

”I'lad you came,” returned he; ”but, I assure you, had I known the route you hoped to ascertain froo People sail for the Northwest Passage, which is nothing when you have found it Why don't the English Admiralty fit out expeditions to discover all our castles in Spain?”

Yet I dream my dreams and attend to my castles in Spain I have so lect it

All the years of my youth and hopes of my manhood are stored away, like precious stones, in the vaults; and I know that I shall find everything elegant, beautiful, and convenient when I coo by, I am not conscious that my interest diminishes

Shall I tell a secret? Shall I confess that so to my Prue ”Cymbeline,” perhaps, or a ”Canterbury Tale,”

I have seehway to my castles in Spain, and, as she looked up from her work and smiled in sympathy, I have even fancied that I was already there?

George William Curtis: ”Prue and I”

(Adapted)

ALADDIN

When I was a beggarly boy And lived in a cellar damp, I had not a friend or a toy, But I had Aladdin's lah in old My beautiful castles in Spain!

Since then I have toiled day and night, I have ive all ht For the one that is ave, and'twould pain me to lose, For I own no more castles in Spain!

Lowell

DRAKE'S VOYAGE ROUND THE WORLD

Francis Drake was born near Tavistock in the year 1545 He served his time as an apprentice in a Channel coaster, and his master, who had been struck with his character, left the vessel to him in his hen he died He was then twenty-one His kins out his third expedition to the Spanish Main, and young Drake, with a party of his Kentish friends, went to Plymouth and joined him In 1572 ”hea convoy of bullion at Pana seen the South Pacific from the ht one day navigate those waters,” which no English keel as yet had furrowed