-the
Dutchman or the Frenchman?"

"Neither," replied Leonard, who at that moment discovered Grant among
the group opposite him. "Yonder stands the incendiary!"

III.

PROGRESS OF THE FIRE.

Instantly surrounded and seized by the mob, Grant offered no resistance,
but demanded to be led with his accuser before a magistrate. Almost as
the words were uttered, a cry was raised that the lord mayor and the
sheriffs were coming along East-cheap, and the prisoner and Leonard were
immediately hurried off in that direction. They met the civic
authorities at the corner of Saint Clement's-lane; but instead of paying
any attention to them, the lord mayor, who appeared to be in a state of
great agitation and excitement, ordered the javelin-men, by whom he was
attended, to push the mob aside.

"I will not delay your worship an instant," cried Leonard; "but this
dreadful fire is the work of incendiaries, of whom that man," pointing
to Grant, "is the principal. I pray your worship to question him. He may
have important revelations to make."

"Eh, what?" cried the lord mayor, addressing Grant. "Is it true you are
an incendiary? Who are your accomplices? Where are they?"

"I have none," replied Grant, boldly--"I deny the charge altogether. Let
my accuser prove it if he can."

"You hear what he says, young man," said the mayor. "Did you see him set
fire to any house? Did you find any fire-balls on his person?"

"I did not," replied Leonard.

"I searched him, your worship," cried Chowles, who was among the
bystanders, "the moment he was seized, and found nothing upon him. It is
a false and malicious charge."

"It looks like it, I must say," replied the mayor. "On what grounds do
you accuse him?" he added, angrily, to Leonard.

"On these," replied Leonard. "He came to me three hours ago, and
confessed that he had a desperate design against the safety of the city,
and made certain proposals to me, to which I would not listen. This is
not the season for a full explanation of the matter. But I pray your
worship, as you value the welfare of the city, to have him secured."

"There can be no harm in that," replied the lord mayor. "His appearance
is decidedly against him. Let him be taken care of till the morrow, when
I will examine further into the matter. Your name and place of abode,
young man?"

"I am called Leonard Holt, and my business is that of a grocer, in
Wood-street," was the reply.

"Enough," rejoined the mayor. "Ta