my ci-devant acquaintance of the billiard-room, Captain Spicer) jumped down to open the gate. This was the moment I had waited for, and bounding forward, followed by my satellites, I sprang to the side of the carriage. A cry of joy from Clara announced that I was recognised, and with an eager hand she endeavoured to let down the glass, but was prevented by Cumberland, who was seated on the side nearest the spot where I was standing. In an instant my resolution was taken: wrenching open the carriage-door, and flinging down the steps, I sprang upon him, and seizing him by the coat-collar before he had time to draw a pistol, I dragged him out head foremost, and, giving way to an ungovernable impulse of rage, shook him till I could hear all the teeth rattle in his head, and threw him from me with such violence that he staggered and fell. In another moment Clara was in my

arms.

"Clara, dearest! my own love!" whispered I, as, shedding tears of joy, she rested her head upon my shoulder, "what happiness to have saved you!"

There are moments when feeling renders us eloquent, when the full heart pours forth its riches in eager and impassioned words; but there are other times, and this was one of them, when language is powerless to express the deep emotion of the soul, and our only refuge is in silence. Clara was the first to speak.

"Frank-tell me what has become of Mr. Fleming-the pistolshot-that maddened plunging horse-I am sure something dreadful has happened.”

"He is indeed severely injured by the fall," replied I, wishing the truth to break upon her by degrees; "but I was unable to remain to learn a surgeon's opinion-and this reminds me that I have still a duty to perform; Cumberland must be detained to answer for his share in this transaction;" and leading Clara to a bench outside the turnpike-house, I proceeded to put my intentions into practice.

But whilst I had been thus engrossed, affairs had assumed a somewhat different aspect. The turnpike-man was actively engaged in a pugilistic contest with Captain Spicer, who, on his attempting to lay hands on him, had shown fight, and was punishing his adversary pretty severely. Cumberland's quick eye had perceived the horses the moment he had regained his feet, and when he saw that I was fully occupied, he had determined to seize the opportunity for effecting his escape. Springing over the gate, he untied one of

THOTHE

the horses, and striking down the boy who attempted to prevent him, rode away at a gallop, at the moment I reappeared upon the scene; while the second horse, after struggling violently to free itself, had snapped the bridle and dashed off in pursuit of its retreating companion. This being the case, it was useless to attempt to follow him; and not altogether sorry that circumstances had rendered it impossible for me to be his captor, I turned to assist my ally, the turnpike-man, who, to use the language of the "Chicken," immortalized by Dickens, appeared in the act of being "gone into and finished" by the redoubtable Captain Spicer. Not wishing to have my facial development disfigured by the addition of a black eye, however, I watched my opportunity, and springing aside to avoid the blow with which he greeted me, succeeded in inserting my fingers within the folds of his neckcloth, after which I had little difficulty in choking him into a state of incapacity, when he submitted to the indignity of having his hands tied behind him, and was induced to resume his seat in the rumble as a prisoner, till such time as I should learn Mr. Frampton's opinion as to the fittest manner of disposing of him. I then replaced Clara in the carriage,

which by my orders had turned round, rewarded the turnpikeman, as well as the boy to whose forethought and able guidance I was mainly indebted for my success, and taking my seat beside my prisoner, we started on our return.

One naturally feels a certain degree of awkwardness in attempting to make conversation to a man, whom only five minutes before one has nearly succeeded in strangling, however thoroughly the discipline may have been deserved—and yet silence is worse; at least I found it so, and after clearing my throat once or twice, as if I had been the person half-throttled rather than the throttler, I began

"It is some years since we have met, Captain Spicer."

The individual thus addressed turned round quickly as I spoke, and favoured me with a scrutinizing glance-it was evident he did not recognise me.

"Have you forgotten the billiard-room in F

Street, and the

way in which your pupil and associate, Mr. Cumberland, cheated my friend Oaklands ?”

The captain, on having this somewhat unpleasant reminiscence of bygone hours forced upon him, turned-I was going to say pale, but that was an impossibility-rather less red than usual, ere he replied, "I beg pardon, Mr. Fairlegh, but I'd quite forgotten you,

sir; 'pon my conscience I had. Ah. that was a foolish piece of business, sir; but Mr. Cumberland, he always was a bad un."

"The man who encouraged and assisted him, not to mention working on his fears, and goading him to desperation, is scarcely the person to blame him," replied I, sternly.

which

"Ah! you don't know all, sir; he was a precious sight worse than you're awake to yet, Mr. Fairlegh. I could tell you things that would surprise you; and if I thought that you would save yourself the trouble of taking me any further than Mis, I believe, the nearest place where I can pick up a coach to London, I don't know that I should mind explaining matters a bit. What do you say, sir? you are lawyer enough to know that you can't do anything to me for this morning's work, I dare say."

"I am not so certain of that," replied I; "abduction and manslaughter are legal offences, I believe."

"I had nothing to do with the last job," was the reply; "I could not have prevented Cumberland's shooting the mare, if my own brother had been riding her.”

This I believed to be true, and I was far from certain that, although morally guilty, Captain Spicer had committed any offence for which he could be punished by law; moreover, as he had been a good deal knocked about in his conflict with the turnpike-man, and I had more than half-strangled him with my own hands, I felt leniently disposed towards him. I therefore replied, "Tell me truly and honestly, supposing you can for once contrive to do so, all you know about this business, and if, as I imagine, you have only been the tool of others in the affair, it is possible my friend, Mr. Frampton, may be induced to let you off."

Upon this hint, the captain having prevailed upon me to remove his extempore handcuffs, and passed his word not to attempt escape, proceeded to give me the following particulars :—

About a year or so before, he had acted in some mysterious capacity at a gambling-house, of which Cumberland was part proprietor, and which was one of Wilford's favourite resorts. The debts which, as a boy, Cumberland had begun to contract, had increased till he became deeply involved; and after availing himself of every kind of subterfuge to postpone the evil day, was on the point of being arrested by his principal creditor, a money-lender, to whom he owed £750. Shortly before the day on which he had promised to meet the demand, Spicer getting a cheque cashed at a banker's in the city, was present when an agent of Wilford's paid in