Oh! distinctly I remember, for it happen’d this December And each separate, dying ember seem’d a figure on the floor. Nervously I wish’d the morrow; for so far I’d failed to borrow―― From the Bank of England borrow――at the same rate as before―― At the same low rate of interest I had borrow’d at before―― They would lend at Two no more. And I had a sort of notion that this fact was known to Goschen, Whilst the dread of Childers fill’d me with a fear not felt before, So that now to still the beating of my heart I’d been repeating: “P’rhaps some luck may yet befall you ere you stand upon the floor―― Stand next April with your Budget at the table on the floor―― And a Surplus yet restore!” Presently the rap was stronger; hesitating then no longer, “Kempe!” said I, “or Law, or Lingen, is that you outside my door? If it be, pray cease your tapping; if you have no cause for rapping, Cease, and let me strike my balance ere I sleep, I you implore. Do come in if you are out there!” Here I open’d wide the door―― Darkness there, and nothing more. Deep into the darkness peering, long I stood there wondering, fearing, Seeing ghosts of former Budgets――Gladstone’s Budgets――o’er me soar; But the silence was unbroken, and of Kempe I saw no token; He had gone with Law and Lingen shortly after half-past four. So I “H-s-s-h’d”――perchance assuming there were cats about the floor―― Merely cats, and nothing more. Back into my room returning, where two composites were burning, Soon again I heard a tapping, something louder than before. “’Tis too soon for chimney-sweeper; can it be the office-keeper?” This I said, and once more rising, tried the mystery to explore. “I will go and try the window, for there’s no one at the door”―― This I said, and nothing more. Open then I flung the shutter, when with quite a fussy flutter, In there stalk’d a handsome Surplus of the Liberal years of yore; Not the least obeisance made it, not a minute stopp’d or stay’d it, But――nor tried I to dissuade it――hopp’d on something on the floor; Hopp’d upon my rough-drawn Budget, which I’d thrown upon the floor―― Hopp’d, then sat; and nothing more! Then this welcome guest beguiling my sad fancy into smiling, By the cheery and contented cast of countenance it wore; “Welcome,” said I, “Surplus comely! though you have arrived so ‘rumly,’ For ’tis some years since a Budget drawn by me a Surplus bore; Let this be a happy omen――that they’ll come as heretofore!” Quoth the Surplus――“Nevermore!”