The Duvenger Curse.

sometime , and that Avas the last folks would see of me . Do you know he looked at me in perfect contempt , ancl turned on his heel and left me . Guess I Avon ' t try it again . " The girl was in the wildest spirits the

rest of the evening . Isabel too was strangely exhilarated ! Mme . LeFevre brought down a quantity of bright fabrics , ancl threAv them in a heap on the floor .

" These will do for impromptu tableaux , " said she , throwing a long silky scarf of blue , oA'ershot Avith silver stars , around Isabel . It Avas unbecoming , and Nip snatched it off .

"How can you ? it makes her look horrid ; it is more suited to me . " She began to dance—graceful , airy thing ! Avinding the scarf around her head like a turban , with the ends streaming back . We all Avatched her with amusement , until she threAv herself on one knee before Louis .

"Herodias daughter before KingHerod , " said she . " A very pretty piece of acting , " said his wife ; " only let vis have a little common sense now . " . " Oh , but Avouldn ' t it make a good tableau ? " said Nip , standing up , " with you as Herod's Avife _ "

Before a reply could be made , she had sprung from the window and flashed clown the terrace to the fountain . There she stood , with her hands over her head , looking really like a sprite in the moonlight . When she came back , there Avere traces of tears in her eyes—the first time I ever

thought Nip had any deeper feeling than enjoyment for the moment . But she gravely took out from the heap a piece of gauze , and before Ave AA'ere aAvare of her intention , had taken Isabel ' s hair clown , and over the longcurly black masshad

, , fastened the gauze . "There , " she said , " now stand up . You are the Queen of Sheba , ancl I your serf . " '

"Theatre , ' said Mine . LeFevre . " Well , what isn ' t , " said Nip ; " what we do every day is theatre ; all the arts you use to conceal your age are theatre ; we couldn ' t get along Avithout theatre . " " And we all like theatre pretty Avell , " said Louis .

The Duvenger Curse.

" It would be better for some if they liked it less , " rejoined his sister curtly . " Is that meant for Hathaway or me 1 " asked Louis coolly . There Avas a dead silence . ( To be continued . )

Old Undated Masonic Mss.

OLD UNDATED MASONIC MSS .

BY BRO . JACOB JfORTOU . MY communication , viz ., " Difficulty of Ascertaining the Age of Undated Old Masonic MSS ., " in the September number of the " Masonic Magazine , " elicited several

articles from the editor , directly and indirectly bearing upon the subject . In some of these I Avas sharply rapped for presuming to form opinions about MSS ., the originals of Avhich I never saw . I confess , hoAvever , that the arguments of my worthy opponent

never for a moment changed my opinion , and as I have since then made further investigation , I shall venture to offer a feAv additional hints . First : Upon re-reading the Old Charges bBro . Hughan I noticed that Avhile the

y legendary portions abound more or less with archaisms , the language of the laws and charges is most decidedly of the 17 th century .

And , second : While the presence of the sheriff in a lodge is mentioned in the poem and in Bro . Cooke ' s MS ., Bro . Hughan ' s Old Charges , including DoAvland ' s , make no mention of the sheriff , hence these MSS . must have been used in lodges Avhen the sheriffs ceased to interfere Avith Mason ' s

squabbles , and that Avas in the 17 th century . But I . have even gone a little further , I have examined the Old Statutes of England , and I think that I can shew the connection between those statutes and our earliest Masonic laws .

The earliest statute enacted regarding labourers , Avages , etc ., Avas in the 23 rd year of Edward HI ., 1349 , as follows : " Echvard , by grace of God , & c . To the Rev . Father in Christ , William , by the same grace , Archbishop of Canterbury , Primate of all England , greeting : Because a great part of the people , especially Avorkmen and servants late died of the pesti-