Now, it was not uncleverly managed on the Such was the question put to Dimmock, and part of Sophia, that she, amongst the first of to which he returned these stunning words :— Dimmock's new duties as a porter contrived "I was an unseen witness of the assault and that samples of various liquors should be sent robbery; and this same James Crawford, I am to Conduit Street,-Crawford and his colleague, ready at any time to swear, was one of the felas she was very well aware, being still carry-lows who perpetrated the capital crime ! ing on their nefarious imposture, with flying "Good morning, Crawford," said Miss Maxcolours. well: "I trouble you no further at this juncture:"

Dimmock hired him with his hamper to Craw- and down stairs and out to the busy street, she ford's, previously put on his guard and requested and the wine-carrier sped.

to speak out as circumstances might suggest, but The young man whom they left in utter amazeonly to utter the truth. ment, hardened as he had rapidly become in "Go westward at once, and catch the fellow crime and imposition, threw himself upon the at breakfast; I shall not be far in the rear of sofa, where he had a few minutes before been you," was the order of Sophia. loungingly reading some romance or other, and Crawford received the porter with his ample luxuriously sipping his coffee,-succeeding in a hamper graciously enough, but would hardly certain measure to banish anxiety from his brain have deigned to inquire whence it came, habitu- and to dwell composedly in the mists of the false ated as he had become to presents of the kind, hope that he was continually invoking. He made by interested people in business. Some- threw himself upon the sofa, and for the first thing, however, in the face and figure of the por- time of his life, if the puling cry of infancy be ter, notwithstanding his altered garb, struck excepted, gave way to a long fit of uncontrollable James; for after a scrutinizing look or two, he, weeping,-at times cursing his folly and his fate, with some degree of flattery, said, "I think I -the hour in which he was born, and the day have met with you before; am I in error?" that Arnold had first spoken to him.

"No, not a particle away from the truth on "Undone beyond redemption!-only spared this occasion, at least; I myself would recognise to fill the cup more than brimful, and then, to a you, in spite of every disguise, although in a certainty to die the death of a felon, unpitied, crowd of ten thousand. My name is Dimmock, yet a pitiable spectacle ! were utterances among -the son of old Fitzgerald-I should rather his woeful ejaculatory exclaimings.

"

say of the enormously wealthy miser whose pro- He bethought him of the pistol, or the dagperty you are to inherit-late a lodger too in these ger's services of the poisonous drug and the handsome apartments." water's depths!

nity?"

James was greatly troubled, but managed to "To this, or worse, it must come; never more recover his presence of mind to ask, "Who is shall I taste peace or joy,- -never more on earth the party that has thought of inviting me to -on earth!" cried he: "then what in etermake a trial of his sample bottles?" "Mr. Maxwell, the wine-merchant, sir, in The tension of his brain was too tight to enGreat St. Helen's; I am his porter, and one of dure; he flew to the bottle to loosen the cords. the managers is close at hand, I believe, in order Deep, deep he drank of the brandy, and in the to talk more particularly about the business." oblivion of intoxication he took a long and Hardly had he finished the sentence, when a troubled sleep. Would all the wealth fabled of servant announced to James that a lady wished the miser Fitzgerald have outweighed the agonies to have a word with him, the lady, Sophia of the young man,-agonies which tortured him Maxwell herself, being at the valet's back. for that hour of passionate weeping which he had gone through ere drowning his senses in the fumes of strong drink?

But to our story.

"Mr. Crawford," said the bold girl, "I will not detain you for any length of time. I have only two questions to put, and but one to you. Will you accept of the samples in the hamper in Sophia had succeeded so well with her wine the lobby, the wine being from my father's ware- samples in Conduit Steeet, that she was resolute house?" on making the experiment with Arnold. and, "No; I do not require them,-I do not ac- as a preliminary step-though it may appear a cept of them,' was James's answer; but it was strange one to the reader-she wrote to Sir evident he did not well know what to say, or George Mornay in the following manner :what he really had uttered.

"In that case," said the young lady, turning "Miss Maxwell presents her compliments to Sir to the porter, "you will take them back, Dim-George Mornay, and begs to inform him that she still busies herself in her dear father's affairs. However, for mock; we do not wish, according to my father's the present she does not wish to trouble Sir George about principles of business, to force our goods upon the wine account so long standing in her father's books any man. But now for my second query; and against him: nor does she at present recur to the scene in which he acted towards Miss Maxwell in such an unyou, Dimmock, must let me be answered by usual manner at Mr. Crawford's in Conduit Street. All you." at the existing juncture that she requests is, that Sir "Certainly, ma'am, to the best of my know-George, from the strong presumption that she entertains "of his certain and positive knowledge of the resorts and ledge. I shall speak to whatever you put to me," habits of Mr. Arnold,-Crawford's colleague in sundry said the carrier of the hamper. magnificent schemes,-will be kind enough to advertise "Were you a witness, Dimmock, of the rob- the said Mr. Arnold, that she will be in waiting for him bery of the Hon. Captain Stewart on the Houns- evening from the date of this note, precisely at eight low road last summer? and was this fellow o'clock. She has merely to add that if Mr. Arnold does Crawford one of the highwaymen that perpe- not meet her then and there, she will before another day's sun goes down, take such measures as will assuredly trated the capital crime?" bring them face to face,"

at the eastern end of St. Paul's Cathedral on the second

Such was the nature of Sophia's communication tude with which he had communicated her request to Sir George Mornay, addressed to Portland for an interview with his friend.

Place. And was it not a little singular, for a One might think that the merchant's daughter female of such a prying and meddling curiosity, had by this time got deeply enough acquainted that although there seemed to be matters of im-with the flagitious career of the impostors. portance depending upon the punctual attendance Still, she was not yet satisfied: she felt there was of Arnold, yet that she displayed little fear of his at least one other acquaintanceship to form,-one disappointing her? of a highly honourable nature, but still one that

The hour came round on the named evening, would erect most powerfully and on sure foundaaccording to Sophia's note to Sir George Mornay, tions, a tower of terror and a final mastery over the and at the appointed spot she stood, when St. impostors. Leaving her to cogitate for a time this Paul's struck eight,-Dimmock, her father's por- new idea, let us accompany Arnold to his retreat, ter, hard by. And who is he who paces the and see if we can make any discovery of his pavement within the pillars, cloak-muffled, and state of mind on finding there was in existence a gloomy to look upon, as Miss Maxwell takes her most willing witness of one of his most criminal position? It is none other but the miscreant and punishable perpetrations,-a witness too at Arnold. And what if the desperado carry under the beck and in the employ of his most subtle the folds of his ample mantle a deadly steel! and implacable enemy!

Yet Sophia does not fear,--she is strong in Arnold on returning westward from the interfaith, feeling that both of them are born to fur-view in St. Paul's Churchyard, more astounded ther interviews ! and alarmed, perhaps, than he had ever been by

"Is it Mr. Arnold, the colleague of James any menacing evil, staggering, not from the Crawford, that I address myself to?" " asked the poison of the cup, but the blows that reached intrepid girl, as the muffled personage a second even the citadel of his hellish thoughts, dealt as time paced past her.

"You know well-too well, who I am," sponded the individual in a tone indicative concentrated rage.

these were by such apparently inadequate hands, re--had at first bethought him of paying a visit to of Crawford,-the arch-villain, adept and obduratesouled as he was, being still assailable and frail "You are punctual, as I made sure you would when the terrors of death took hold of him. The be," observed the lady; "it would have been awk-tutor of villanies would now have taken shelter ward for me had you kept me long waiting for in the sympathies and counsels of his apt pupil. you, in a keen winter night like this." The dread, however, lest Sophia Maxwell might

"The period of our interview at the present

"I seldom am behind, madam, when a young suddenly make herself a party at Conduit Street, lady proposes the assignation," the individual even at that hour of the wintry season, withheld answered sneeringly. him. "She possesses," he immediately said, "the will be brief, however peremptory the summons, ubiquity of the devil; and it seems besides that which I, a woman, issued. The point to be de- neither doors nor walls can shut her out from our cided is one of moment to you, but of no imme-counsels and acts." diate urgency, unless it be to satisfy my curiosity, So he posted in the quickest way he could --a woman's eagerness to make discovery. Fol- towards the hotel where he at times resided, low me," she added, "to yonder lamp." throwing behind him many a furtive glance, ab

and when?

The muffled figure obeyed with a child-like solutely in terror at times of his own shadow. docility, and stepped to the lamp-post at which Let imagination accompany that bad man to his Dimmock had a little before been planted. private chamber,-to his pillow, and follow him, "Arnold," cried Sophia, "look me directly which sleep did not once visit his eye-lids, nor if ye can, throughout the long winter night, during in the face, but fear no instant danger from me. repose come near to his perturbed thoughts. How I say nothing now of the letter counselling to many were the trains of reflection,-how numesend me to an unwaking sleep, or of the drugged fruit; but I demand of this man here, Dimmock, of the hours with a terrible freshness, such as he rous the memories, coming back in the dreariness my father's porter and errand-goer, if he has had never felt since his first plunges into crime, ever looked upon you ere this,—and if so, where—how appallingly retributive his visions! "Ha!" cried he, plunging himself almost "The first and only time," exclaimed John headlong from his bed upon the floor, "what Dimmock, "that I ever before set eyes upon that spectre is that? Is it the injured spirit of the man, was when I, unseen, witnessed the assault maiden I first ruined,-of some one of the countmade upon the Hon. Captain Stewart, near less victims of my art?-of the assassinated in cold Hounslow. There were three highwaymen ; two blood, or the murdered in my highway assaults? of them I had some knowledge of before; the Emily Crawford, what are the visitations which I third and most active of them was a stranger to am to receive for my perjuries to thee,-and what me. This is the man, and that I am ready to the impending conflict when thy brother James give oath to at any time when required." hath been hurled to the depths of despair and "Good night, Mr. Arnold," whispered Sophia, stung to madness by the full discovery of me?" with a few other words which escaped Dimmock's In this way did the miscreant now and then start from a bed that was worse than fiery hot for

ear.

He only heard, as he frequently, long after- him, his brain inflamed and his visual organs wards, related, thanks expressed by Miss Max-bloodshot,-believing in the spectres of his own well, which she begged might be forwarded to creation, but still unswayed or softened by one Sir George Mornay, on account of the prompti- genial sentiment of repentance. He, for the time,

believed and trembled, but not with an ameliorat-merchant's ear,-why, then, we must lose no time, ing faith or a godly fear,-it was only as the constantly as she is parading about, nightly as well habitants of hell do! as daily, in employing some bold agents who shall Daylight arrived, driving from the brain por-carry her to one of those accommodating lodgingtions of the spectral thoughts which had whelmed houses with which I am familiar, and there havin the soul of the villain. He hastened to the ing bedded her if not wedded her, send the fiend open air, he sought the busy and deafening adrift in the morning, to steer her way the best haunts of man. His nature recovered some way she can to her papa's fireside. Let her tell amount of its habitual hardihood; and now he any story she chooses after that; we have plentethought that it would be as well to invite the ous knowledge of her to give another colouring to society of his apt pupil,-appointing an obscure the whole, should she survive the indignities public-house in an obscure corner for the place of offered her, my thought being that the last remeeting. sort now mentioned would be a sure method of Crawford was punctual,-he was elatd; for he depriving her of reason, half-crazed as she already had, ever since he was confronted by Sophia and is, or perhaps killing her outright." Dimmock, found oblivion or solace in the cup. Into these desperate views the now intoxicated

Ha! my friend Arnold," cried he, "I rejoice Arnold entered so far that he went to his dwellto meet you; but why so long a stranger? Now ing-place in a state to take a sound sleep; nor, however, let us be glad,-banish care for an hour, until further consideration did he mean to disclose -why make ourselves cursedly unhappy? what the particulars of his interview with the young shall we drink?" lady in St. Paul's Churchyard. Even Crawford, Upon this the young man pulled the string of on his side, although much more communicative, the bell of the obscure tavern, not unchecked by with regard to many ticklish points, evaded the the elder worthy; for although Arnold could peraccount of the wine-sample stratagem,-being not ceive that James was partially already in his cups, the drama, and of his cordial readiness to come forgetful of young Dimmock's introduction into and although he was too cool and calculating a villain to allow strong drink oft to master him, forward about the highway-robbery of Captain he yet needed a stimulus and something that Stewart. This was such an alarming and formidapromised to cheer, after the exhaustion of the ble point that it did not entirely pass unnoticed, past night, and the still brooding gloom of his James merely saying, thinking that he commuspirit. nicated a piece of not unimportant news :

They at once applied themselves with considerable freedom to the bottle, before even entering closely upon the subjects which were after all nearest to their thoughts, tearing them to pieces the vindictive daughter." as with infernal fangs. James, having been about half-seas over when they first met, soon grew almost uproariously gleesome, chanting snatches

"I learn that our old colleague's son, young Dimmock, base dog! is actually in the service of Mr. Maxwell,-in the pay, you may be sure, of

"The devil he is!" exclaimed Arnold; "hell to them both!

Upon this the villains parted, tolerably comof luscious songs, and rioting amid the sort of fortable for that time.

Her

lurid images of grandeur which his wine-excited Miss Maxwell was neither idle in respect of her fancies beheld around him. Nor did Arnold escape plans nor her actual doings, while the infamous the contagion, enlivened by the cup, and fondly impostors were torn by the most horrid appretaking shelter in such conglomerations as enveloped hensions, or were with racked brains labouring to them-conjured up by their own peculiar natures, devise some precious scheme whereby to thwart inebriated as they were. her purposes, and to escape their fate. Arnold, my friend," cried Crawford, "I see Hon. Captain Stewart; and the very first movegrand anxiety now was to get introduced to the a way of extricating ourselves entirely from the ment she made in that direction promised, at no meshes of the net which the fiendish Sophia has distant date, to have the result she so much longed been spreading for us. I shall make her my wife, for. if not by fair, at least by foul means. She purchased an old newspaper in which I shall not allow her to be the intruder upon either of us, but was given a very particular account of the highassume a proper effrontery, and pounce upon her three villains, and this she took an opportunity to way robbery of that gentleman, perpetrated by in her father's presence, if need be. I shall make read to her father, as if she had merely, unlooked proposals there and then; and if she offers to for, fallen in with a striking anecdote or incident blab, I shall take the first word and tell her to her of which she had never heard before. face, ay, and in hearing of the merchant himself, that her tale is as worthless as her pretended slight stirring of his recollections, said, rather Having finished the reading, her father, after a chastity and virtue. I will!"-and he swore deeply that he would do the magnanimous and the Stewart must be son of the same talkative Lord surprisedly, "My dear child, the same Captain ruffian-like. Fanmore, who has been a good customer of mine,

"Go on," said Arnold, half transported in his and who may be again. He keeps a noble table obliviousness and the gildings of the ecstatic and has more than once given me a most handCrawford. "I in a measure am pleased with some order for wines. You know what a splendid your resolute scheme so far; but proceed.' consignment has lately come to hand; and I shall Why, if I should happen to break down from write to him, inviting a trial." any unforeseen circumstance, before I can come to "Do, father," cried Sophia; "who knows but the broad and bold denunciation of her character; his son, the Captain, may be enticed to recomor should she shut my mouth, or repel my pre- mend a few pipes for the mess of his regiment ? sence and suit altogether, ere I can get to the I should like very much to see the gallant officer,

who, by the way, is now Lord Fanmore's heir." way to turn themselves so as to get rid of Miss Mr. Maxwell was prompt in performing what- Maxwell's persecutions, or so to forward their ever was of a business nature, or had a chance to nefarious schemes of imposture as to be enabled lead to a profitable transaction. Accordingly he to fly from England laden with spoils before she wrote to the captain's noble father, in the politest came down upon them with all her fell vengeance. terms, inquiring if he would allow him to present This latter idea seemed to take best; for, after a few samples of certain wines which had recently the exaltation and the bravery which strong been forwarded to his vaults, or were in the drink had created were allowed to give place to Docks; being of the rarest quality, the most reflection, and the ordinary reaction of the nervous esteemed vintages, and some of them in the high- system, Crawford's browbeating scheme appeared est state of perfection as respected age. extremely hazardous.

Lord Fanmore immediately returned for answer, 'Let us," said Arnold, "driven now as we that Mr. Maxwell need not put himself to the are"-he might have added,—into a corner trouble of sending him samples, but, as he was and to desperation,- -"strain every nerve in about to add to his stock very considerably, he bringing our grand scheme to such a pitch of would order a good judge to call upon Mr. Max-perfection,-to such a degree of fruitfulness-to well, in order to taste the wines and to make the such a climax, in short, as will enable us to make necessary arrangements connected with a pur-off with flying colours, and defy persecution of chase. every kind, and even in the puritanical world's "My son, the Hon. Captain Stewart," said the estimation to be regarded with such a wonder as peer, giving all the Christian names, which we will render us the object rather of admiration purposely omit, "although no wine-bibber, has a than of execration. Had it been in Sparta of old most excellent and delicate perception of the quali- and in classic ages, success in such a magnificent ties and flavours of the juice of the grape he undertaking would have brought crowning honours will tell you, after tasting rapidly in turn a dozen to us, and our names would have been handed of different clarets, which is the one he prefers, down to posterity as those of men of genius and and the reasons for his preference. Therefore of splendid adventure."

look to it, Mr. Maxwell, and put your best to the In this self-deluding and verbose manner did test." the arch-impostor talk,-feeling, it is to be preThe merchant was overjoyed at the result of sumed, in the multiplicity of his phrases, and in his note to his lordship; but if he was uplifted, the length of time he dwelt upon one ideawhat were his lovely daughter's ecstasies, intent, into which he had schooled his hardened and unto a morbid and extraordinary degree, to ferret principled heart,-a sort of realisation of the reout every particle of fact and of evidence that sults which he had most fondly contemplated at bore upon the villanies of Crawford and his col- the beginning of the scheme; and also believing league in imposture! What added to the delight- that he was still dazzling the eyes of his apt ful nature of his lordship's answer was, that with scholar, so as to have him to dash further into his wonted finical attention to whatever appeared the enterprise, head and hand. to him to exhibit his dignity, he not only named James, however, although still most anxious the day but the very hour of the day, when his for the fulness of the barvest which they had son would wait upon the merchant. hoped at first to reap, and which, indeed, had

it

"I shall be in the counting-house with you at hitherto yielded such abundant fruits, could not the moment," said Sophia: "I should like very but foresee that Sophia Maxwell would still conmuch to have the sight of a gentleman who has tinue to harass them, and this with an ever-inencountered highwaymen. What! father, if we creasing and more ingenious spirit for giving should invite the captain to dinner, that he might torment; nay, that perhaps, from her unaccounthave the greater leisure and the best opportunity able familiarity with all their doings, she might to judge of the wines?" take it into her head to thwart the very first atExcellently thought," cried the merchant; tempt they might make to strike more boldly than "do you pen a pretty note in your own name, and ever into the field of their speculation, fraught as my child, to his lordship, humbly soliciting the as it naturally was with many dangers. To all honour of Captain Stewart's company to dinner this, however, Arnold had something to reply, on the day of his intended visit, intimating that that helped to allay the anxieties of his pupil. t will be the best way in which he can test and "Well, but, James," said the miscreant, aste my wines." will be as bad and perilous for us to stand stoneSophia was neither slow nor unhappy in des- still, as to dash daringly forward; back we canpatching the note, to which a speedy answer was not possibly go-and as to that vile fiend who returned by the captain himself that with great is eternally crossing our paths, we must enpleasure he should dine with Mr. Maxwell on the deavour for the short time that we shall now day named. The fitting preparations were ac- require, according to my best calculations,―for cordingly made by the merchant's lovely house- carrying out to the full our glorious scheme,—to keeper and child, while all was tiptoe expectation school ourselves to a thorough disregard of all on her part. Even John Dimmock was dressed her devilry,-trusting that she will for a suffiup for the occasion, so as to make a fitting ap- ciently lengthened period to serve our purposes, pearance in the lobby. keep aloof from inflicting the last stroke of venReturn we for a short space to Conduit Street, geance." where, in the forenoon of the day immediately "If," answered Crawford, "I could thoroughly succeeding that in which Arnold and Crawford persuade myself that the damnable vixen would met at the obscure public-house. The colleagues still regard the exposure of her own shame with had a long sitting, still in utter perplexity which a dread equal to her desire of harassing and

ruining us, I would rest nearly at peace, relying wine. Let the place of payment be in St. Paul's Churchupon the strongly competing and parallel motives."