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walked to the table, which was exactly opposite my door, but not within range of my sight, snuffed each candle, paused again a full minute, hesitating, perhaps, then walked back to the bed and lay down.

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Suspense is a terrible thing; and the cold was becoming every moment more intense. Sometimes my knees bent under me, and I slid down almost to the ground; then, alarmed to find myself in so unguarded a position, I would start up again, and try to stand straight and alert-as if my poor readiness would be of any avail when things came to the worst!

So the long hours passed. The man did not get up again, and I thought he must be asleep, for when at length the fire and the candles in both rooms went out almost simultaneously, he took no notice of it, but left us in darkness. For some hours it was a darkness that might be felt; but it did not add much to my terror, for it made me feel a little safer and farther away from him.

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All this passed in what seemed years instead of hours; till at last my heart gave a great bound of hope, for there, through the window, which had neither blind nor shutter, I could see lights moving about over the snow in different directions. Then all the lights came together to the door, and some one tried to open it. Alas! it was locked and the key gone, as I knew. So, after another futile attempt to open it, the lights all moved slowly away. was afraid to go forward to the window, lest the man should see me and the torch-bearers should not; I only moved along the wall so as to be opposite to it, and waved both hands in a silent frenzy. No one saw me, and soon all the lights had quite disappeared. This disappointment almost deprived me of all the strength I had left; but I was too thoroughly terrified to faint. I was in no hurry for any such luxury, and now every moment expected that the man, roused by the noise at the door, would get up and come into my room to examine it. However, time passed on, and he did not move, only now and then the chains rattled a little, as if he were turning in his sleep.

At last the total darkness began to give way; a faint grayness came stealing through the little window. The night was not going to last for ever! Slowly the grayness grew towards light, very slowly but unceasingly, and I could dimly see every object in the room-when at last I heard footsteps outside, then the key put in the lock, and-oh, how slowly!-turned. It was my deliverer.

All the terror of the past night and the joy of the present moment seemed now suddenly crushed together and pressed upon my head. I was mad for the time, I suppose. I waited till the door was open, then fled out into the snow. 'Don't go in there!' I said in a whisper like a shriek. Lock the door!'.

'Good heavens !' Mr Williams exclaimed, obeying and then he caught me up in his arms. My hair had turned quite white.

But I did not discover that till many months afterwards, for, being ill, I had no need of a looking-glass. I learned then, too, for the first time, that my fellow-prisoner was a madman, who had escaped from an asylum some miles off.

Perishing with cold, he had crept into the cottage after the servants-who had left the key in the door-had finished their preparations, and so had not been discovered. He was a dangerous lunatic; so it was as well that I did not know that, for a madman is a greater terror to me than the most desperate of escaped convicts. The men with the torches had come in search of him. Mr Williams ran with me to the house, and sent three men to the cottage. They were no more than in time, as the wretched man was escaping from one of the windows just as they came up, and they had a severe struggle with him before he was overpowered. The same morning he was restored to the asylum, where he died a few weeks afterwards, worn out with an access of madness.

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Ever since that time I have lived in dread of going mad. Indeed, I do not think I am always quite so sane as other people. But I am an old woman now, and I think I shall be spared worse madness. I have written this in the hope of easing my mind a little; though I can never forget that night.

THE SEAMY SIDE OF HUMAN NATURE. FROM a Return of Judicial Statisties for the year 1881, issued by the Home Secretary, it appears that there are no fewer than seventy-one thousand six hundred and thirty-seven known thieves and depredators in England and Wales. Of these, however, only thirty-nine thousand one hundred and sixty-one are in a position to carry on active operations, the rest being in convict or local prisons. These criminals are worse than drones in the social hive. They are the Ishmaelites of society, preying upon honest people when out of prison, and supported at the public expense when in Without reckoning the value of property stolen and not recovered during the year, we find that the cost of police and prisons in 1881 in England and Wales was nearly four millions sterling, which has to be defrayed either by direct or indirect taxation.

The halcyon days of thieving when bands of stout fellows lived a bold and free life under the greenwood tree, and balanced the despoiling of a fat abbot by the succouring of a distressed widow; or when bold moss-troopers, Scotts or Percies or Douglases, conducted a doughty Border raid-are for ever gone. The average thief nowa days is a very mean-spirited creature indeed. Though he has plenty of low cumming, he is not a many-sided man. He generally has but one particular 'lay,' and after serving a term of imprisonment, returns to his old haunts and habits. A cracksman' or housebreaker does not commit paltry shop-door thefts, while à pickpocket seldom figures in a charge of robbery by violence. Some thieves are notorious for thefts from children. Others have their peculiar vocation in snatching greatcoats from unguarded lobbies, or appropriating stray door-mats. The detective knows this, and conducts his inquiries accordingly. This officer is the abhorrence of the professional thief. The uniformed constable can be watched as he lounges leisurely along; but the detective working silently in plain clothes, often pounces on the thief when least expected.

as he unconsciously informs you, the 'sell,' is just going on. When an outsider does go in, a number of confederates, got up in various characters-from the clergyman in rusty black, to the countrywoman with her basket on her armcarry on the sale briskly, and articles are rapidly sold at very low prices. If the visitor is not wary and sensible, he is sure to bid, and may possibly find himself, before he leaves, the purchaser of an antiquated old sofa, a set of rickety chairs, or a Brummagem dinner service, at double their value,

The popular delusion that a detective was an almost supernatural being who could find out dark and mysterious crimes as if by magic, and who always turned up in the nick of time, has now nearly gone. By a fortunate chance, an officer may occasionally stumble on the thing he is looking for; but success is generally the result of patient, laborious, and often disagreeable or dangerous work. He must be cool and wary, for he has to deal with all sorts of persons. While apparently noticing nothing, he examines everything with an observant eye. Much of the information given him is utterly worthless, some Another dodge is generally tried on retired of it being purposely calculated to mislead; but military or naval officers. The swindler sends from such he often draws conclusions of the very a letter recalling some reminiscence of mutual opposite character to those intended by the in-service in an army corps, or on board a manformer. Local knowledge, and a thorough under-of-war, a number of years ago. He mentions standing of the nature and habits of each criminal his vivid recollection of these happy days, and in his district, are of the greatest assistance to a detective officer.

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hints that he has not been over-fortunate in worldly affairs. He has been security for a In a number of cases, however, common-sense friend, who has failed to meet the bill which he is the best safeguard of the public against imposi- himself has had to pay. The last instalment is tion. Some swindles are of such a nature that nearly due, and he is still eight or ten pounds the victims choose rather to pocket their chagrin short, while the consequences will be serious if and suffer the loss in silence, than be dragged the money is not forthcoming. Can he presume into a court to give evidence, or have their names so far upon the memory of old times as to ask appear in the public prints. We shall briefly a small loan to tide him over the difficulty? describe some of these swindles, as, notwithstanding the warnings so often given in the newspapers, the imposition still goes on, and complaints by victims of the first two species have lately come under our notice.

There is the swindling Loan Company, with its commodious chambers in a good locality, and a large brass plate on the door. A speciously worded advertisement informs the needy that money on personal security can be borrowed at a moderate rate of interest. There is a delight ful haziness about, the paragraph, suggestive of long credit and a disinterested and philanthropic lender. The embarrassed tradesman or struggling young professional man, ashamed to let his friends know how the shoe pinches him, thinks this is the thing for him, and writes for particulars. He receives a circular showing the Company's terms, and containing a list of questions to be answered, and also containing a demand for an advance fee, varying in amount from half a guinea to two guineas. If sent, the advance fee is invariably retained; while in many cases a curt intimation is sent that the Company decline to entertain the application. When a loan is granted, a high rate of interest is charged, and the first year's interest is deducted from the loan; while the borrower is obliged to grant a bond over his house, furniture, or stock-in-trade. On these, if there is the slightest failure in giving them their pound of flesh, the Company generally foreclose at the most inconvenient time for the borrower. If a man's business is in such a state that a temporary loan can help him, and his character is good, he will seldom be at a loss for somebody who knows him to give him a friendly lift. If this is not the case, it is far better that he should give up the business, pocket his pride, and start journeyman again, than, by getting into the hands of harpies, ruin his prospects for life.

There are various mock-auctions in every large town. A decoy at the door invites the unwary passenger to walk in, as the sale, or,

This type of swindler possesses more than an average education, and his information regarding the antecedents of his intended dupe is curiously accurate. It is probably gathered from some old tar or discharged soldier, many of whom are extremely garrulous regarding their favourite officers or old masters.

An ingenious fraud has lately been practised in London. A tall well-dressed man, apparently a City merchant on his way home from business, is seen talking on the street to a man in workman's dress who carries a basket and some tools. The 'merchant' accosts some well-dressed passenger, and tells him the mechanic's' tale of want of employment and family distress. He adds that he has satisfied himself of the truth of the story, and is about to give a trifle; will the gentleman join in giving a small sum to relieve deserving necessity? The apparent respectability of the voucher often succeeds where a common begging petition would fail, and the person accosted generally gives something. A gentleman who had given a small sum saw both swindlers issue in company from a public-house some time after. Of course, on seeing him they decamped.

A clever dodge has lately come to light, which shows how thoroughly the swindler understood those on whom he was to operate, and forms a curious commentary on the relations between servants and tradesmen. A man having the appearance of a gentleman's servant called on several tradesmen in a fashionable part of London, asking them to come to a certain house for orders for different classes of goods, at the same time throwing out a suggestion that a small gratuity for himself would be acceptable, and might not be lost by the tradesman in a distribution of further orders. In a number of instances, small sums were given; but when the shopmen attended at the place named, they found their services were not required, and that the small fees had flowed into the pocket of some clever rascal.

Swindling, though extremely annoying to the victim, often presents a comical side to the

onlooker. That our Yankee cousins are go-ahead innkeeper knew they were no thieves; and the

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Time and space would fail us to mention the various swindles in the shape of sham agencies, foreign lotteries, and deceptive advertisements of all kinds that are continually being forced on the notice of a gullible public. If the ingenuity now being wasted by rogues in cheating people were employed in some useful oceupation, it could hardly fail of being success ful; and the most likely way to induce them to take an honest course is by the public turning a deaf ear to the voice of the charmer and refusing to be imposed on. Hot bus nollte v 20re suit lo geitenka

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BOLI 2 JP ZONINNOST INSTA
IN TWO PARTS.—PART II.
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in their rascality, as in all else, the following upshot was that he purchased the ticket for story will show. We all know the usefulness another shilling's-worth of ale, to be immediately of an ulster in covering a rusty coat or a ragged supplied. The rascals had the ale consumed and pair of trousers, but few have the ingenuity were off, before the publican, going to lift his to make the ulster the means of supplying food, 'plate' from pawn, found he had been bita gait raiment, and money. A clever rogue having equipped himself in a large ulster of fashionable make, and provided himself with the indispensable handbag, entered a Chicago hotel pretty late at niglit. Mentioning that he had just arrived in the city, and was to leave early next morning for New York, he took a room for the night and went to bed. Early next morning, the new guest's bell was rung violently. The servant who answered it found him highly excited. His room, he said, had been entered during the night, and his only pair of trousers, containing his purse, fifteen and a quarter dollars, and a through-ticket for New York, had been stolen. The landlord was called up. The guest stamped NOTES ON CONTINENTAL TRAVEL on the floor, and used language anything but 7 T canonical. What could the landlord do? It 115 alboll would be in the highest degree unfortunate if WE quitted the Point du Jour with a pleasant his house got the reputation of being conducted impression of our brief sojourn at Montbard. in such a way that a man's trousers were not safe The next day's halt was at Sens; and now our in his bedroom. What he and nearly a dozen journey was drawing to a close, subsequent landlords did was to provide a pair to reach Paris at night, Before doing so, however, expected of new trousers, replace or lend the missing we were destined to a second adventure. Some dollars the guest did not care which-buy a ticket for some place or other, apologise, and of our party not having, seen the palace at decline payment for entertainment provided. Fontainebleau, it was arranged that we should Plying his lucrative game in various localities, make a detour and visit it on our way. When, the happy inventor had erelong plenty of dol late in the afternoon we reached the place, we lars, many pairs of trousers, and railway tickets found the whole town on the alert. The king in every direction. But one landlord who had (Louis-Philippe) was expected. He was coming, heard confidentially about the missing trousers accompanied by the whole court; so that to see from a puzzled brother in trade, angrily declared the palace was out of the question. And your that his guest had brought no trousers with him, reaching Paris to-night, added the innkeeper, is and instead of apologising and supplying money equally impossible. Every horse on the road has and pants, he coated his lodger's, nether limbs been engaged for His Majesty, who always travels with tar and feathers and turned him out in with a large retinue. I have excellent accom that condition." DR1 106 191779modation at your service, a well-served cuisine, Another specimen is too good to be willingly the best beds. Fontainebleau is a charming lost, for in this case the rogue was more actuated sojourn, and 17 767 si lo đoad by a plaguy drouth' than by any criminal intent. Several "Paisley bodies had had a prolonged drinking-bout. Their money was done, and their credit exhausted, for the host had trusted as far as he dared; but their throats were as dry as ever. A shilling had been screwed by one out of an unwilling acquaintance; but alas! it would not go far among the lot. A bright idea struck one of the party. Give it to me,' said he, and I will double it. It was accordingly handed over; and the crony forthwith repaired to the nearest pawnshop and offered the shilling in pledge. Mine uncle grinned, and some drunken wager, he laughingly offered git tenpence. This was immediately accepted, and a pawn-ticket given, marked, at the pledger's request, A piece of silver-plate." The pledger now returned to the public-house. His companions were at first rather dubious of the wisdom of his procedure, but were soon undeceived. He ordered some ale, and while paying the landlord, remarked to his companions on the shabbiness of the pawnbroker, The words, Piece of plate' made the host prick up his ears. He made some inquiry, was shown the pawn-ticket, and told that an old heirloom had been sacrificed. The

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host's loquacity. He cotillion cut short our confirmed the statement of the latter as to the improbability of being able to get horses; but added, that if we were willing to take chance and go on another poste, his horses would be rested and refreshed in a couple of hours, and could take us on We accepted his offer, despite the remonstrances and grumblings of the landlord, and having ordered dinner, sallied out for a ramble while it was in pre paration..

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At the end of the next stage, some diligence horses were fortunately to be had; but on reaching Penthièvre, we came to a full stop; not a quadruped was procurable for love or money. The entire population of the little town was in the street, eagerly looking out for the royal cortège, which was every moment expected to pass through. We had nothing for it but to await patiently that event, and then remain until some of the horses which had brought Louis Philippe were sufficiently rested to proceed with us. The posthouse was a miserable-looking place, dirty and uninviting, so that the ladies of the party preferred staying in the carriage; the maid following the example of her mistresses, and

remaining; in her seat on the rumble behind, a proceeding which, as we shall see, nearly cost her her life mi sd of sin b

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Nothing could be more amusing than the scene around us. A French crowd is always enter, taining, but this was especially so, from the state of intense excitement of every man, woman, and child Young and old, all were talking, gesticulating, giving their opinion, laying down the law. The king was of course the grand topic, the absorbing object of interest. How soon he would probably arrive, where he was at that precise moment, the conjectured number of his carriages, the incidents and reminiscences of former passingsthrough--all were debated, canvassed, commented on, with nods, shrugs, grimaces, and contortions such as a Frenchman alone is capable of. The postillions and their horses added not a little to the animation of the scene. The latter, which were all gray, without a single exception, were fastened up against a wall opposite the posthouse, to be in readiness at a moment their heads warning. They were fidgety animals, tossing pawing the ground with impatience The French postillion an individual now almost extinct was as peculiar and marked among his countrymen, and in appearance as different from them as the sturdy poissardes of asg Boulogne and Dieppe are unlike their sister citizens whose business is unconnected with deep waters. Tall, heavy, and strongly builty one would have imagined him ill calculated for his calling, and in a country, too, where diminutive men predominate. The huge French, postillion was often gruff and taciturn another contrast to the natives, in general; given, too, to grumbling at the end of his stage; but that is, I believe, a characteristic of the driving fraternity all over the world. He was generally good-looking; and his costume the glazed round hat with its smart cockade, blue jacket with crimson facings, yellow leather breeches, and enormous jack-boots-set off to advantage his stalwart figure. 79

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We were drawn up quite close to the posthouse, to be out of the way when the cortège, arrived, the pole of our carriage almost touching the wall of the building Soon after taking up this posi tion, a little old man with a basket of cakes on his arm came up to us and asked us to buy some, He was a lean, shrivelled, little creature, with a huge pair of earrings, and a brown face like anwalnut. Very neat in his person; his linen jacket and apron, with the cloth that covered his basket, were as white as snow. We did not mind him at first, but he returned often to the charge.

Buy my cakes, ladies,' he said; they are excellent. First quality flour, best of butter, and such sugar and fruit! Plenty of spice too, and no stint of eggs. They melt t in the mouth. Poor Marie taught me to make them-Marie, you know! My little daughter makes them too; but I never allow her to come out and sell them. She is too young and too pretty; not so pretty, though, as Marie! Buy my cakes, my excellent cakes,' er bad dady Exit 90 1.

To please the poor little man, and get rid of his importunities, we invested in some of his manufactures. They did not quite come up to his description of them, but were highly appreciated by the children to whom they were

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distributed when his back was turned, continued to patronise us, and to hover round the carriage, coming back from time to time with tidings and conjectures about the great event in expectation. There was something very peculiar in his look a wild unsettled gleam in his eyes,, and his movements were restless and abrupt He talked perpetually, running on in a rambling incoherent way, often to himself when no one was paying attention to him. A woman who had seen him talking to us, shook her head, and said: Ah, poor little,, Jeannot! there he goes with his cakes. A # worthy creature; but all wrong here, you understand,' she added, tapping her forehead; he was never t the same since he lost his wife.'

The subject of her remarks returning to us at this moment, prevented our asking any questions. He was soon on his old theme, poor Marie.' It was not difficult to draw his little story from him he told it unconnectedly, by fits and starts, and may be thus translated:

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Marie was very pretty, and she was good toothe best girl in the village. We loved each other from childhood, ah, how dearly! and we always settled to be married some day. Marie's father and mother gave their consent on condition that we should have between us a certain sum beforehand to begin our little ménage. We were too happy at the prospect of being united to mind any conditions, however hard; so we set to work both, no easy task. I had an old blind mother It was no to support out of my earnings; and though Marie made cakes, and had such a winning way with her that she sold twice as much as any one else, still the purse filled slowly. Time went on however, and we met with various pieces of good fortune. My Marie was so industrious and so clever; everything prospered with her, and with me, for her sake. We grew rich at last, so rich that the sum was nearly made up. How happy we were! and twice as fond of each other as ever. But before the year was out, ah, what a blow came! The conscription took place-I was drawn for a soldier

to and increase our little store.

"What is to become of us now, Marie ?" I cried. "We are lost!".

She threw her arms round my neck, and wept as if her heart would break. Then suddenly starting up, she ran into her own little room, and bringing out her purse, pressed it into my hand. "There," she sobbed; "take that, Jeannot. You have more; we can buy a substitute,"

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our marriage our marriage, Marie!? and I wrung my hands in despair.

"Well, mon ami, it must only be put off. We must go to work again and get more money, We are both so young, Jeannot, so very young!"

There was no help for it. I was bought off. It took more than half our funds; and I was very down-hearted at having to begin afresh. Marie had much more courage. The year passed on, and brought joy at its close. An old uncle, a grocer at Dijon, died and left me a small legacy. Marie became mine.

What a nice cottage we had, and how prettily it was furnished! How proud I was of my little wife, my own darling Marie! She was so good to my poor blind mother, who lived with us, and loved her dearly. Every morning she took out

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