well as the boy to whose forethought and able guidance
I was mainly indebted for my success, and taking my seat beside my
prisoner, we started on our return.

One naturally feels a certain degree of awkwardness in attempting to
make conversation to a man, whom only five minutes before one has nearly
succeeded in strangling, however thoroughly the discipline may have been
deserved--and yet silence is worse; at least I found it so; and ~461~~
after clearing my throat once or twice, as if I had been the person
half-throttled rather than the throttler, I began:--

"It is some years since we have met, Captain Spicer".

The individual thus addressed turned round quickly as I spoke, and
favoured me with a scrutinising glance--it was evident he did not
recognise me.

"Have you forgotten the billiard-room in F---- Street, and the way
in which your pupil and associate, Mr. Cumberland, cheated my friend
Oaklands?"

The captain, on having this somewhat unpleasant reminiscence of bygone
hours forced upon him, turned--I was going to say pale, but that was an
impossibility--rather less red than usual ere he replied:--

"I beg pardon, Mr. Fairlegh, but I'd quite forgotten you, sir; 'pon my
conscience I had. Ah, that was a foolish piece of business, sir; but Mr.
Cumberland, he always was a bad un."

"The man who encouraged and assisted him, not to mention working on his
fears and godding him to desperation, is scarcely the person to blame
him," replied I sternly.

"Ah! you don't know all, sir; he was a precious sight worse than you're
awake to yet, Mr. Fairlegh. I could tell you things that would surprise
you; and if I thought that you would save yourself the trouble of taking
me any farther than M----, which is, I believe, the nearest place
where I can pick up a coach to London, I don't know that I should mind
explaining matters a bit. What do you say, sir? you are lawyer enough
to know that you can't do anything to me for this morning's work, I dare
say."

"I am not so certain of that," replied I; "abduction and manslaughter
are legal offences, I believe."

"I had nothing to do with the last job," was the reply; "I could not
have prevented Cumberland shooting the mare if my own brother had been
riding her."

This I believed to be true, and I was far from certain that, although
morally guilty, Captain Spicer had committed any offence for which he
could be punished by law; moreover, as he had been a good deal knocked
abo