and has collared a heavy swag; he says
he will go into trade: one of his old pals let that out in jail. Trade!
then heaven help his customers, that is all."

"You may catch him yet."

"When I catch Jack-a-lantern. He is not so green as to stay a day in
Hillsborough, now his face has been close to mine; they all know I
never forget a face. No, no; I shall never see him again, till I am
telegraphed for, to inspect his mug and his wild-cat eyes in some jail
or other. I must try and not think of him; it disturbs my mind, and
takes off my attention from my duties."

Ransome adhered to this resolution for more than a month, during which
time he followed out every indication with the patience of a beagle;
and, at last, he called one day and told Little Hill had forfeited his
bail, and gone to Canada at the expense of the trade; but had let
out strange things before he left. There was a swell concerned in his
attempt with the bow and arrow: there was a swell concerned in the
explosion, with some workman, whose name he concealed; he had seen them
on the bridge, and had seen the workman receive a bag of gold, and had
collared him, and demanded his share; this had been given him, but not
until he threatened to call the bobbies. "Now, if we could find Hill,
and get him to turn Queen's evidence, this, coupled with what you and
I could furnish, would secure your man ten years of penal servitude. I
know an able officer at Quebec. Is it worth while going to the expense?"

Little, who had received the whole communication in a sort of
despondent, apathetic way, replied that he didn't think it was worth
while. "My good friend," said he, "I am miserable. Vengeance, I find,
will not fill a yearning heart. And the truth is, that all this time I
have been secretly hoping she would return, and that has enabled me to
bear up, and chatter about revenge. Who could believe a young creature
like that would leave her father and all her friends for good? I made
sure she would come back in a week or two. And to think that it is I who
have driven her away, and darkened my own life. I thought I had sounded
the depths of misery. I was a fool to think so. No, no; life would be
endurable if I could only see her face once a day, and hear her voice,
though it was not even speaking to me. Oh! oh!"

Now this was the first time Little had broken down before Ransome.
Hitherto he had spoken of Coventry, but not of Grace; he had avoided
speaking of her, partl