they seemed to regard him as false to the
cause, and the words--"sold," and "traitor"--were more than once audible.
He flamed out at the charge, and passionately demanded proofs. He then
touched another string. "Now listen to what I have to tell you, and then
call me traitor, if you will. You are in the jaws of ruin. I have but just
discovered that Government has obtained knowledge of your meeting; and
that within five minutes every man of you will be arrested. I flew to save
you; now judge of my honour to the cause. You have only to make your
escape, and thank the chance which has rescued your lives." Still my
safety was not complete. There were furious spirits among them, who talked
of revenge for the blood already shed, and graver spirits who insisted on
my being kept as a hostage. But my protector declaimed so powerfully on
the folly of exacting terms from me under duress; on the wisdom of
appealing to my generosity in case of reverses; and, above all, on the
certainty of their falling into the hands of authority, if they wasted
their time in quarrelling as to my disposal; that he again brought them to
a pause. A loud knocking at the door of one of the distant vaults, and a
sound like the breaking down of the wall, gave a sudden success to his
argument, and the meeting, snatching up their papers and weapons, glided
away as silently as so many shadows.

I naturally attempted to thank my protector, but he put his finger to his
lip and pointed to the quarter from which the police were apparently
forcing their way into the subterranean. This was clearly a time of peril
for himself as well as his associates, and I followed him silently through
the windings of this hideous locale. We shortly reached the open air, and
I cannot describe the solemn and grateful sense with which I saw the sky
above my head, the lights glimmering in the windows, and felt that I was
once more in the land of the living. My conductor led me within sight of
the door of the House of Commons, and, with a slight pressure of the hand,
turned from me, and was lost among the crowd. I rushed in, exhausted,
overpowered, sinking with apprehension of the evil which might have been
done in my absence, and blushing at the shame which probably awaited me.

But I was fortunately disappointed. By some means, which I could never
subsequently ascertain, a rumour of my seizure had reached the House; and
the strongest alarm was excited by the dread of my assassinati