with her
handkerchief to her eyes, 'that in case any more disturbances should
happen--which I hope not; I sincerely hope not--'

'I hope so too, my dear.'

'--That in case any should occur, we have the piece of paper which that
poor misguided young man brought.'

'Ay, to be sure,' said the locksmith, turning quickly round. 'Where is
that piece of paper?'

Mrs Varden stood aghast as he took it from her outstretched band, tore
it into fragments, and threw them under the grate.

'Not use it?' she said.

'Use it!' cried the locksmith. No! Let them come and pull the roof about
our ears; let them burn us out of house and home; I'd neither have the
protection of their leader, nor chalk their howl upon my door, though,
for not doing it, they shot me on my own threshold. Use it! Let them
come and do their worst. The first man who crosses my doorstep on such
an errand as theirs, had better be a hundred miles away. Let him look to
it. The others may have their will. I wouldn't beg or buy them off, if,
instead of every pound of iron in the place, there was a hundred weight
of gold. Get you to bed, Martha. I shall take down the shutters and go
to work.'

'So early!' said his wife.

'Ay,' replied the locksmith cheerily, 'so early. Come when they may,
they shall not find us skulking and hiding, as if we feared to take our
portion of the light of day, and left it all to them. So pleasant dreams
to you, my dear, and cheerful sleep!'

With that he gave his wife a hearty kiss, and bade her delay no longer,
or it would be time to rise before she lay down to rest. Mrs Varden
quite amiably and meekly walked upstairs, followed by Miggs, who,
although a good deal subdued, could not refrain from sundry stimulative
coughs and sniffs by the way, or from holding up her hands in
astonishment at the daring conduct of master.

Chapter 52

A mob is usually a creature of very mysterious existence, particularly
in a large city. Where it comes from or whither it goes, few men
can tell. Assembling and dispersing with equal suddenness, it is as
difficult to follow to its various sources as the sea itself; nor does
the parallel stop here, for the ocean is not more fickle and uncertain,
more terrible when roused, more unreasonable, or more cruel.

The people who were boisterous at Westminster upon the Friday morning,
and were eagerly bent upon the work of devastation in Duke Street and
Warwick Street at night, were, in the mass, the sa