"If you dare to try to back out of this agreement I'll have you up before the police. I'll enforce the awful penalty that punishes the non-performance of a solemn engagement. I'll have you arrested by the Royal Guards in the name of His Majesty the King, and cause you to be incarcerated in the lowest dungeons of St. Elmo. Besides, I won't pay you for the ride thus far." With this last remark Buttons walked to the door, and without another word opened it, and motioned to Il Piccolo to leave. The vetturino departed in silence. On the following morning he made his appearance as pleasant as though nothing had happened. The carriage rolled away from Salerno. Broad fields stretched away on every side. Troops of villagers marched forth to their labor. As they went on they saw women working in the fields, and men lolling on the fences. "Do you call that the stuff for a free country?" cried the Senator, whose whole soul rose up in arms against such a sight. "Air these things men? or can such slaves as these women seem to be give birth to any thing but slaves?" "Bravo!" cried Buttons. The Senator was too indignant to say more, and so fell into a fit of musing. "Dick," said Buttons, after a long pause, "you are as pale as a ghost. I believe you must be beginning to feel the miasma from these plains." "Oh no," said Dick, dolefully; "something worse." "What's the matter?" "Do you remember the eggs we had for dinner last evening?" "Yes." "That's what's the matter," said Dick, with a groan. "I can't explain; but this, perhaps, will tell thee all I feel." He took from his pocket a paper and handed it to Buttons. Around the margin were drawn etchings of countless fantastic figures, illustrating the following lines: A NIGHTMARE. "_Gorgons, and hydras, and chimeras dire_." BY A VICTIM. Eggs! Eggs!! Eggs!!! Hard boiled eggs for tea! And oh! the horrible nightmare dream They brought to luckless me! The hippopotamus came; He sat upon my chest: The hippopotamus roared "I'll spot him!" as He trampled upon my breast. The big iguanodon hunched And rooted in under me: The big iguanodon raised by that pan o' done Overdone eggs for tea. The ichthyosaurus tried To roll me up in a ball; While all the three were grinning at me, And pounding me, bed and all. Hip! hip! hurrah! It was a little black pig, And a big bull-frog, and a bobtailed dog-- All of them dancing a jig. And oh, the snakes! the snakes! And the boa constrictor too! And the cobra capello--a terrible fellow-- Came to my horrified view. Snakes and horrible beasts, Frog, pig, and dog Hustled me, pushed me, tickled me, crushed me, Rolled me about like a log. The little blue devils came on; They rode on a needle's point; And the big giraffe, with asthmatic laugh, And legs all out of joint.