bench; but as these rapid disclosures burst from
her lips, and I saw the use to which they might be turned, I rose slowly
and in some sort involuntarily to my feet, lifted up, as it were, by the
energy of her fiery words.

"God reward you," I exclaimed, shaking both her hands in mine. "You
have, unless I blunder, rescued an innocent woman from the scaffold. I
see it all. Farewell!"

"Mr. Waters," she exclaimed, in a changed, palpitating voice, as I was
passing forth; "when all is done, you will not forget me?"

"That I will not, by my own hopes of mercy in the hereafter. Adieu!"

At a quarter past nine that evening I, accompanied by two Farnham
constables, knocked at the door of Jackson's house. Henry Rogers, I
should state, had been removed to the village. The door was opened by
the woman servant, and we went in. "I have a warrant for your arrest,
Jane Riddet," I said, "as an accomplice in the plate-stealing the other
day. There, don't scream, but listen to me." I then intimated the terms
upon which alone she could expect favor. She tremblingly promised
compliance; and after placing the constables outside, in concealment,
but within hearing, I proceeded to the parlor, secured the terrified old
woman, and confined her safely in a distant out-house.

"Now, Riddet," I said, "quick with one of the old lady's gowns, a shawl,
cap, _et cetera_." These were brought, and I returned to the parlor. It
was a roomy apartment, with small, diamond-paned windows, and just then
but very faintly illuminated by the star-light. There were two large
high-backed easy-chairs, and I prepared to take possession of the one
recently vacated by Jackson's wife. "You must perfectly understand,"
were my parting words to the trembling servant, "that we intend standing
no nonsense with either you or your master. You cannot escape; but if
you let Mr. Jackson in as usual, and he enters this room as usual, no
harm will befall you: if otherwise, you will be unquestionably
transported. Now, go."

My toilet was not so easily accomplished as I thought it would be. The
gown did not meet at the back by about a foot; that, however, was of
little consequence, as the high chair concealed the deficiency; neither
did the shortness of the sleeves matter much, as the ample shawl could
be made to hide my too great length of arm; but the skirt was scarcely
lower than a Highlander's, and how the deuce I was to crook my booted
legs up out of view, even in that glo