Hark! hark!-a scream, loud and shrill, and heart-quaking as ever fell upon the ear in wildest accents of despair, makes these corridors ring with soul-chilling, appalling resonance! Poor Letitia poor, horror! struck, swooning Letitia! the sight of these iron manacles on her husband's arms has told, sooner than the tongue, the smiting, the tremendous truth! And then, these recently civil, but now surly, men have awed her to insensibility, and the changed countenance of her husband has with fear congealed to jelly the blood around her heart! Look at James: he has fallen in pensive stupefaction into that chair-he cannot speak, he gazes on his father-in-law with idiotic stare. The spokesman of the Bow-Street men has entrusted the prisoner to the sole charge of his colleague, and impelled by an ordinary feeling of humanity is raising from the floor the unconscious Letitia. Domestics are arriving and screaming, and running into one another's way, Gideon is bereft of sense, power, collectedness, everything, and this is one of those volcanic eruptions which some

times, and only sometimes, terrifically breaks forth in social life, electrifying, prostrating to the very dust, breasts possessing even a mere scintillation of sensibility! One, and only one in this harrowing scene appears unaffected. His cunning, his "triple brass" in his low craft, and kind of criminal-catching knowledge have gained him employment as a bad instrument to be used, whereby good may come.

"I've often seen 'm as bad as she is—and wosser too; run one of you pretty gals and fetch a little cold water and dash on her face, and you'll see how 'twill rewive her. Many's the job I've seen like this 'ere, but I'll take my Daivy I never yet seed a death at a cotchin'," said the brutal official, to whose tender mercies Inglis was now confided.

"I am a lawyer-have been engaged forty years at the profession-I protest against this as illegal-I'll give bail-my estate-my position-my-my," excitedly vociferated the squire, who instantly recovering from his revery, determined to exert his authority. "My orders were clear, distinct, uncon

ditional. I was commanded to apprehend him, and convey him to London without an bour's delay," with some solemnity of manner answered the snuff brown.

"I-I-I'll give bail-we'll go to a magistrate, I'll explain the mistake and-" replied the trembling Gideon.

We

"No, no, as I've said afore, 'taint no mistake, we've cotched him, and we'll have him. Remember we'se king's servants, we is, and can't be choked off our game. have heard a good deal about bail afore now, and the cotched 'un has bolted, got clear off, and somehow or other the bailer managed to get off paying," observed the wrap-rascal, who closed his teeth and grasped the manacle tighter and tighter in his grip.

"I know I signed the bill-I acknowledge the signature-but I'll swear, if this hour be my last, the crime of forgery was never in my mind! Mr. Clynchiere-my father-in-law-the parent of my wife-will you believe me?" vehemently protested James, as he dashed his hand upon his brow, and then sprang, at one bound, like a roebuck, on his feet.

"I will believe you, James-I do believe you, James !?!

Look! the loud jingling of the iron fetters, as the prisoner leapt from his seat, has awoke to consciousness the prostrate wife! As if the trumpet sound called her to the last tribunal, she shakes off, instantaneously, the slumber of insensibility! she raves in delirious agony, she cannot shed a tear, the rivers of her bosom are sealed up by the icy chilliness of blood-congealing terror. Her hair is thrown out of its graceful fastenings and waves in unheeding disarray over her shoulders-and-and her white arms are clasped convulsively around his neck-they are locked fast in straining frenzy, and her cheek is laid upon his-laid in desperation where it has often been pillowed in calmness, and tenderness, and love! Gideon, in all the endearing accents of parental affection implores her to relinquish her grasp, and soothingly tells her all will be well-that it is a mistake -that-that-he falters, poor old man! and forgets what he says! James emphatically, wildly, protests in his innocence; but Leti

tia-poor frantic Letitia hears not a word; she is deaf; she comprehends them not-all their entreaties are disregarded or unintelligible! The taller of the Bow Street men is a man, and his brimful eye attests his humanity; even his brutal companion is serious at the scene!

"My dear lady," compassionately says the tall officer, "do be more collected, and I fear not your husband will be acquitted !"

"My child-my child-all this will kill my child!" distractedly said Gideon.

"Tishy, Tishy, do go from me-release me my darling-your James may have wronged you, have been an erring man, but he is innocent of this charge-he never yet committed such a crime!"

She clings still closer, she will not release him, her arms are rigid in their convulsive fixity; she sees not; she hears not; she is in the confusion and dreaminess of hopeless despair!

"Let 'm be a while," advises the wraprascal, in a more subdued tone than he had yet spoken, "arter a time she will mend o' this, and then we can get him away."