ng his hat over his brows to conceal his features,
fiercely confronted his pursuer.

"Why do you follow me thus, rascal?" he cried, drawing his sword. "Would
you rob me? Begone, or I will call the watch."

"It _is_ his voice!" cried the apprentice. "I have news for you, Mr.
Maurice Wyvil. You will not see Amabel to-night. The plague is in her
father's house."

"The plague!" exclaimed Wyvil, in an altered tone, and dropping the
point of his sword. "Is she smitten by it?"

The apprentice answered by a bitter laugh, and without tarrying longer
to enjoy his rival's distress, set off towards Cheapside. Before
reaching the end of Lawrence-lane, however, he half-repented his
conduct, and halted to see whether Wyvil was following him; but as he
could perceive nothing of him, he continued his course.

Entering Cheapside, he observed, to his surprise, a crowd of persons
collected near the Cross, then standing a little to the east of
Wood-street. This cross, which was of great antiquity, and had undergone
many mutilations and alterations since its erection in 1486, when it
boasted, amongst other embellishments, images of the Virgin and Saint
Edward the Confessor, was still not without some pretensions to
architectural beauty. In form it was hexagonal, and composed of three
tiers, rising from one another like the divisions of a telescope, each
angle being supported by a pillar surmounted by a statue, while the
intervening niches were filled up with sculptures, intended to represent
some of the sovereigns of England. The structure was of considerable
height, and crowned by a large gilt cross. Its base was protected by a
strong wooden railing. About a hundred yards to the east, there stood a
smaller hexagonal tower, likewise ornamented with carvings, and having a
figure on its conical summit blowing a horn. This was the Conduit.
Midway between these buildings the crowd alluded to above was collected.

As Leonard drew near, he found the assemblage was listening to the
exhortations of an enthusiast, whom he instantly recognised from a
description he had heard of him from Blaize. The name of this
half-crazed being was Solomon Eagle. Originally a Quaker, upon the
outbreak of the plague he had abandoned his home and friends, and roamed
the streets at night, denouncing doom to the city. He was a tall gaunt
man, with long jet-black hair hanging in disordered masses over his
shoulders. His eyes were large and black, and blazed with ins