casion to pay a visit to Chaffing Jack and his brilliant saloon.
Winding through many obscure lanes, Mick and his friend at length turned
into a passage which ended in a square court of a not inconsiderable
size, and which was surrounded by high buildings that had the appearance
of warehouses. Entering one of these, and taking up a dim lamp that
was placed on the stone of an empty hearth, Devilsdust led his friend
through several unoccupied and unfurnished rooms, until he came to one
in which there were some signs of occupation.

"Now, Mick," said he, in a very earnest, almost solemn tone, "are you
firm?"

"All right, my hearty," replied his friend, though not without some
affectation of ease.

"There is a good deal to go through," said Devilsdust. "It tries a man."

"You don't mean that?"

"But if you are firm, all's right. Now I must leave you."

"No, no, Dusty," said Mick.

"I must go," said Devilsdust; "and you must rest here till you are
sent for. Now mind--whatever is bid you, obey; and whatever you see, be
quiet. There," and Devilsdust taking a flask out of his pocket, held it
forth to his friend, "give a good pull, man, I can't leave it you, for
though your heart must be warm, your head must be cool," and so saying
he vanished.

Notwithstanding the animating draught, the heart of Mick Radley
trembled. There are some moments when the nervous system defies even
brandy. Mick was on the eve of a great and solemn incident, round
which for years his imagination had gathered and brooded. Often in that
imagination he had conceived the scene, and successfully confronted its
perils or its trials. Often had the occasion been the drama of many a
triumphant reverie, but the stern presence of reality had dispelled all
his fancy and all his courage. He recalled the warning of Julia, who had
often dissuaded him from the impending step; that warning received with
so much scorn and treated with so much levity. He began to think that
women were always right; that Devilsdust was after all a dangerous
counsellor; he even meditated over the possibility of a retreat. He
looked around him: the glimmering lamp scarcely indicated the outline of
the obscure chamber. It was lofty, nor in the obscurity was it possible
for the eye to reach the ceiling, which several huge beams seemed to
cross transversally, looming in the darkness. There was apparently no
windows, and the door by which they had entered was not easily to
be recognis