seemed to have no
particular spite against anybody, and believed everything the clerk told
them, the spirits of our heroes revived wonderfully, and Duffield's bag
travelled briskly in consequence.

To the relief of the "Firm," the first case was not Tom White's. It was
that of a vagrant who was charged with the heinous crimes of begging and
being unable to give an account of herself. The active and intelligent
police gave their evidence beautifully, and displayed an amount of
shrewdness and heroism in the taking up of this wretched outcast which
made every one wonder they were allowed to waste their talents in so
humble a sphere as Templeton.

The magistrates put their heads together for a few seconds, and then
summoned the clerk to put his head up, too, and the result of the
consultation was that the poor creature was ordered to be taken in at
the Union and cared for.

Duffield's bag was getting very light by the time this humane decision
was come to. Only one round was left, and that was deferred by mutual
consent when the clerk called out "Thomas White!"

Our heroes sat up in their seats and fixed their eyes on the dock.

In a moment Tom White, as rollicking as ever, but unusually sober, stood
in it, and gazed round the place in a half-dazed way.

As his eyes came down to the front public bench, our heroes' cheeks
flushed and their eyes looked straight in front of them.

Duffield and Raggles, on the contrary, being the victims of no pangs of
conscience, after looking hurriedly round to see that neither the
magistrates, the police, nor the usher observed them, winked recognition
at their old servant in distress.

This was too much for Dick. These two fellows who weren't "in it" at
all were backing Tom up in public, whereas his "Firm," who were in it,
and had come down for the express purpose of looking after the prisoner,
were doing nothing. "Better nod," he whispered.

And the "Firm" nodded, shyly but distinctly.

Tom White was not the sort of gentleman to cut his friends on an
occasion like this, and he, seeing himself thus noticed, and
recognising, in a vague sort of way, his patrons, favoured the front
public bench with five very pronounced nods, greatly to the
embarrassment of the young gentlemen there, and vastly to the
indignation of the police and officials of the court.

"Order there, or the court will be cleared!" cried the clerk, in a tone
of outraged propriety; "How dare you?"

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