trate? and"a general yell here ensued, mixed with imprecations and rude laughter. "He is a lawyer; strike at him, Jem, till he moves." "You'll commit an assault, if you do," I cried, " and depend upon it I'll have you up for it." But Jem seemed more animated by the shouts of his companions, than deterred by the fear of committing a breach of the peace; and I found that I was about to be hauled in for a share in the exhibition. I parried one or two blows with good humour; and then told him, if he repeated them, I would floor him, which I did accordingly, in good style." One of the Fancy!"" a crack man!"-" do you offer to fight him, John,”—and similar exclamations were handed about. "I want to fight none of you," said I; "so stand off: but I call upon you, in the name of the king, to assist me in apprehending that fellow, who has committed an assault upon me." "You must fight me first," said John; who seemed to be the bully of the party, and very well adapted by nature for the office, as far as limb and muscle went. "Fight you!" sneered I; remembering how a late Irish barrister had extricated himself from a similar invitation. "I would sooner give over fighting all my days, than fight such a deformed lump as you." A loud laugh followed this disparaging compliment, to which my challenger made no reply; but tipping the wink to his gang, they closed in upon us, and I became convinced that this troop of desperadoes meant to ill-treat and rob us, and I called loudly upon such of the spectators as were honest men, to prevent them. The recess between gables, into which they had drawn their first prey, prevented their being much observed along the first street, and they might perpetrate any mischief, without fear of discovery, a few yards lower down. Luckily the constables, sent no doubt by some wiser ally than I had proved myself, came up just in time, and convinced us how much more powerful, with the vulgar, is the language of emblems, than our ordinary one. Those who had paid no great deference to his Majesty's name, were immediately awed by the sign of his crown, painted upon a blue stick, and not only readily made way, but seemed disposed to lend every assistance to the officers. These had acquired, by tact, the power of reading rogue in a thief's countenance, and required very little auxiliary information from me. My companion charged Jem again, distinctly, with having plucked a silk handkerchief out of his coat pocket, which Jem denied most indignantly, till one of the officers, thrusting his arm up his back, drew from between his shoulders the said article. Ulysses himself could have denied it no longer after that. I would gladly have been excused from moving in the procession to the office, as an anxious feeling drew me another way; but the deputies of the executive could not dispense with my company, whose evidence, they alleged, would be required to substantiate the confederacy. As we entered the office, I heard the Magistrate name a particular officer to accompany some gentlemen, who made their bow to his worship; and as they retreated, I recognised our two tormentors of the morning. A bewilderment came over me in an instant, which settled in a firm conviction that their visit here had some relation to Olivia. Had this villain claimed a legal right over her? and would he have the hardihood to bring the claims to public view? Or had he invented some plausible tale of

pilfered effects, to get her once more into his power? Something he had done, and I was on thorns to learn it; and to counteract its effect I politely entreated the sitting magistrate to despatch me, as my immediate dismission was of the greatest consequence. He gave me a slow Rhadamanthus' nod, from which I augured the prolixity of his proceedings, and a stern reproof for daring to dictate my own time to the functionary of justice: then he took out his snuff-box, and duly provisioned his magisterial nose, previous to its opening on a new scent -unfolded his mainsheet of India silk, and gathered it into the form of an apple-dumpling, as if he expected the luxury of a sneeze; during which time a profound silence reigned in the court, as if a breath would have foiled the cherished hope, and caused great Jove to nod in anger. It came at last, thanks be to the maker of the snuff; and a hum began once more to circulate through the room. On the recovery of his dear sight, he threw his eyes round the room, which were followed by those of his minions, who seemed to comprehend his meaning, for they turned out several shabby fellows, and some gentlemen, whom they included among such, for private reasons. After a few more preludes, he gave a look of assent to the senior officer, who very concisely stated the way in which he had found matters. His worship then turned to me, and asked me, what charge I had to make against any of the prisoners? I answered, none-meaning none that I intended to make, though the display of his worship's wiper had naturally recalled my own real India one, of five shillings, and I found it gone without leave; but I would give his worship a short account of the transaction. "I was hastening home, saw a scuffle, and finding a gentleman concerned, and apparently very much abused by the rabble, stopped to interfere." "Patiently, sir, if you please: you could not have been in so very great a hurry, upon important business, if you had time to stop, and enter a row?"-and he glanced with great satisfaction at the reporters, who, no doubt, recorded that trait of sagacity. I answered, that it must be an affair of vital consequence indeed, that could permit me to see a person, apparently of my own rank, so mauled about, and not endeavour to extricate him.” "You took the very worst way of doing it, sir: you should have summoned the police." "I admit it: but the thought did not occur to me at the time; and I believed the case too desperate for delay; and that it would do to call upon the people in the king's name, to bring the offender to justice. In the scuffle, I gave and received some blows; at length we were pushed down the stable lane by this band of fellows; with what intention I am sure I cannot say, for they were prevented effecting their object by the arrival of the officers." I waited patiently, without suggesting my haste to be off again, while the judge was exchanging a few whisperings with his clerk; but when he turned to the only complainant in the case, and he began his story with, "I had been here, and I was going there," and such minutialities, I could forbear no longer, and once more suggested, with deference, the urgent affair that made it impossible for me to attend any longer. "You should have considered that, sir, before you engaged in this business. But it is treating the cause of public justice with very little respect, to fly off in this way, before the bench can decide upon the guilt of six or seven

fellows, in custody on your account." After scolding for some time longer, to which I only answered, that, at any other time, I should be happy to attend as a witness, if required, he averted his head in a surly manner, which I took for an inclination of assent, and made my bow, and walked off. I hastened towards Olivia's, and at the first coach-stand took a seat in one of them, and tendered expedition fees, to be driven as fast as possible to her house. When I arrived at the door, I found a hackney-coach in waiting, and the landlady, who soon opened the door to my loud knock, informed me, with much alarm, that there were the two strange gentlemen and a constable above; and for God's sake to hasten up, as she had heard nothing but sobs ever since. I was in the room the next moment, and Olivia sprang into my arms, with a "Thank heaven!—my deliverer, I knew it was you." I answered this confidence in her security with a word of encouragement; begging her to rest on the sofa, while I ascertained the cause of the intrusion of these fellows. I then walked up to the leading conspirator, and asked him roughly his business. He appeared in some consternation; but answered, with assumed spirit, that " he would explain his business in the presence of the magistrate, by whose permission he had come here." "Plausible villain!" cried I; " but I know your errand; I know more of you than you would like to hear in a court of justice; and if you go before a magistrate this day, I'll blazon your infamy to the world, if you are not insensible to its publication." Very hot and chivalrous indeed!" said he," but I fancy an action of defamation would cool your rancour." "Defamation of thee! impossible! but no! I fancy, to call thee a bold villain, a brave ruffian, were to defame thy character-but if any one said, a cowardly, base, unprincipled deceiver, then he surely would not belie thee. Begone!" thundered I, "or, loathsome as you are, I'll fling you down stairs." "Constable," he thundered out, "remember that threat; I am under your protection, in the execution of the magistrate's will." "And what is the magistrate's will?" said I, turning to the constable. "That I bring this young lady before his worship, that he may enquire into the truth of the facts." "What facts? Why! he says, she is his ward." "His ward!" exclaimed Olivia and I, in surprise. "Yes," replied the audacious fellow, " by my uncle's will." "Then you shall account for the trust, hark ye; in the mean time you have abused your authority too much, to be suffered to retain it.. Away! I say: and you, sir, away! You have a worthy pattern of profligacy before you; and a proper spirit for the tool and pimp of such a master.” "Too severe, upon my word! too bad after the service that I rendered you in Kensington-park!" "Which you did with as much good grace as you would this day have cancelled it, I suppose? But I have heard your father's name mentioned with respect; and, be assured, he shall hear from me of the career that you are leading, and the guide whom you have chosen." "Very vindictive, indeed. I suppose we had best go." "But, gentlemen," said the constable, "you forget the magistrate's order." No; but you see we are not safe in remaining here, so we will proceed to the office, and await your arrival with the lady."

They then slunk out of the room, and drove off: when I inquired

more closely into particulars from the officer, I found the reprobate had framed such an artful story, of his benevolent intentions in rescuing an innocent girl from the clutches of a seducer, that the magistrate had reluctantly consented to order him before him, in hopes that his oratory would persuade her to return to her guardian; and no doubt, if this failed, the villain meant to carry her off by some stratagem, on her return home unprotected. I assured the constable, that I was pretty well assured the magistrate would hear no more of them, but that, if he wished it, we would ride down to the office-door, and alight if they were there; but otherwise I would not expose the lady, who had been already sufficiently shocked, to the gaze of an entire court. He thought this reasonable, always saving his worship's better opinion; and we all three set forward in one coach.

On the way, Olivia gave me, in French, an account of all that she had suffered since my quitting her. I was no sooner gone, than she espied her persecutor in the window of an eating-house over the way, waiting apparently for that watched-for moment. She would have sent after me, but her landlady was the only person in the house besides herself, and the very thought of opening the door was frightful to her. She ran down and explained all to the good woman of the house, and begged her, on no account, to open the door to any one but me, in case they should attempt to rush in. In a few minutes they rapped, as she had predicted. The landlady inquired their business, through the parlour window: they answered, that it should be made known when they were admitted. She said she was a lone woman in the house, and could not think of unlocking her door to strangers, without knowing their affairs. They then inquired for Olivia — She answered, that there

was no such person there; upon which they swore at her in the coarsest terms, that they had seen her go in. She opened upon them with some abusive language, and on their persevering, threatened to rain down vengeance on them from above. This drove them off, after they had menaced to bring a constable, and represent the house as an improper one. They neither of them had the least conception that this threat would be effected, as they saw no pretence for permitting it; at all events they thought I would be home at the time. So they hugged themselves in the security of their precautions, until the arrival of the party, which threw them into the wildest trepidation. After some knocks, the woman began to be alarmed at the consequence of refusing admittance to a constable, but cautiously proceeded, as before, by asking from the window what they wanted? The man reprimanded her for not answering him sooner, showed his badge, and dared her, on her peril, to refuse to admit him. She stated her readiness to let him in, provided the two others were excluded. He declared that he would be her safeguard, against any harm from them; but it was his worship's orders, that they should come in, to induce a young lady in the house to go and see him: on his oath, no violence should be attempted. Olivia heard all this, in the greatest emotion, and finding it vain to persuade her landlady any farther to keep herself enclosed till my arrival, hastily retreated up stairs, where the party soon followed, and, by persuasion and threats of bursting, induced her to unlock the door. The constable had, with every civility, explained the

magistrate's wish to see her, which she had regretted her present incapacity of doing, until a person whom she expected should arrive. Her seducer made a nauseous speech, about the stubbornness of his poor child, and the evils she might avoid by receiving the magistrate's paternal advice: it might lead to the recovery of property; at all events, it had no sinister view from him, and similar persuasions, to which she listened with contempt, and which were scarce concluded, when I fortunately arrived. This had thrown them into some embarrassment, and caused them to brush up their hats, as much as to say, we had better be off. I was among them, before they had settled how.

On arriving at the office, the constable stept out, and found my conjecture true; but reported that the magistrate had no doubt but they (the complainants) would soon arrive, and he therefore desired us to enter. I wrote on a card an excuse for not alighting, stating that the lady in question would await his pleasure in the coach, if his worship required it: but that it was futile, for they had imposed upon him, as I could prove. He sent word that he would be glad to see me, at least; and I went in. He seemed somewhat surprised at finding me the same Truemaine who had tried his patience so short a time ago, and inquired if I had despatched the important business that hurried me away? I answered, that I had arrived just in the nick of time to save a great deal of unhappiness to an interesting young woman, the party concerned, against whom I surmised a scheme of annoyance, from seeing the schemers leave the office at my entrance. But I first requested to know if the magistrate were apprised of their names. He answered that he was; but they had deceived him, as I found on his repeating what they had given him for their names and address. All seemed shocked at the idea of Justice receiving such an affront, and rather incredulous, till I gave him their real names, and the address of the father of the younger, of whom he had often heard. As he could not conceive their object in imposing on him, I had to give him an outline of Olivia's history, and to show him the views which this guardian had towards her, stating that his conduct would become the subject of an action, I trusted, before long. He recommended it by all means, and after a few more inquiries, allowed me to depart. We drove home, quite satisfied with having been spared the exhibition of a public inquiry, though it could not but have been triumphant. Olivia was far from well, such a revolution had she experienced from the highest state of tranquillity and satisfaction. She could not fancy herself safe, as long as she remained in a place known to her persecutor, who would, no doubt, attempt other measures to recover her; and even set his villanous coadjutrix to work, for her own sake. We determined to lose no time in changing to a different quarter of the town; and removed so much the more speedily, as the police reporters had made the most of our affair, and held up our residence to public remark, and my name to the comment of my acquaintances; by whom I expected to be much questioned on the subject.