of anger and warning. "Let him only
proceed, and you 'll be quite satisfied, on his own showing, that he
cannot be admitted to bail."

"Bail!" echoed the Right Honorable, whose faculties seemed to have
stuck fast in the mud of thought, and were totally unable to extricate
themselves.

At the same moment, a gentle tap was heard at the door, and the porter
entered with a card, which he delivered to the Secretary.

"Let him wait," was the brief reply, as he threw his eyes over it."
Captain Bubbleton!", muttered he, between his teeth; "don't know him."

I started at the name, and felt my cheek flush. He saw it at once.

"You know this gentleman, then?" said he, mildly.

"Yes; to his humanity I am indebted for my life."

"I think I shall be able to show, sir," said Barton, interposing, "that
through this Burke's instrumentality a very deep scheme of disaffection
is at this moment in operation among the troops in garrison. It was in
the barrack at George's Street that I apprehended him."

"You may withdraw, sir," said the Secretary, turning towards me. "Let
Captain Bubbleton come in."

As I left the room, the burly captain entered; but so flurried and
excited was he, that he never perceived me, as we passed each other.

I had not been many minutes in the outer room when a loud laugh
attracted me, in which I could distinctly recognize the merry cadence
of my friend Bubbleton; and shortly after the door was opened, and I was
desired to enter.

"You distinctly understand, then, Captain Bubbleton," said Mr. Cooke,
"that in accepting the bail in this case, I am assuming a responsibility
which may involve me in trouble?"

"I have no doubt of it," muttered Barton, between his teeth.

"We shall require two sureties of five hundred pounds each."

"Take the whole myself, by Jove!" broke in Bubbleton, with a flourish of
his hand. "In for a penny,--eh, Tom?"

"You can't do that, sir," interposed Barton.

The Secretary nodded an assent, and for a moment or two Bubbleton looked
nonplussed.

"You 'll of course have little difficulty as to a co-surety," continued
Barton, with a grin. "Burke of 'Ours' is sufficiently popular in the
Forty-fifth to make it an easy matter."

"True," cried Bubbleton, "quite true; but in a thing of this kind, every
fellow will be so deuced anxious to come forward,--a kind of military
feeling, you know."

"I understand it perfectly," said Cooke, with a polite bow; "although a
civilian, I thi