p stairs before they had recovered from the momentary
consternation into which they had been thrown by the sudden disaster
they had received.

[Illustration]

But they were quickly after him, and before he, wearied as he was, could
gain the roof, they were up the ladder after him.

The first man who came through the trap was again set upon by Varney,
who made a desperate thrust at him, and it took effect; but the sword
snapped by the handle.

With an execration, Sir Francis threw the hilt at the head of the next
man he saw; then rushing, with headlong speed, he distanced his pursuers
for some house tops.

But the row of houses ended at the one he was then at, and he could go
no further. What was to be done? The height was by far too great to be
jumped; death was certain. A hideous heap of crushed and mangled bones
would be the extent of what would remain of him, and then, perhaps, life
not extinct for some hours afterwards.

He turned round; he saw them coming hallooing over the house tops, like
a pack of hounds. Sir Francis struck his hands together, and groaned. He
looked round, and perceived some ivy peeping over the coping-stone. A
thought struck him, and he instantly ran to the spot and leaned over.

"Saved--saved!" he exclaimed.

Then, placing his hand over, he felt for the ivy; then he got over, and
hung by the coping-stone, in a perilous position, till he found a spot
on which he could rest his foot, and then he grasped the ivy as low down
as he could, and thus he lowered himself a short way, till he came to
where the ivy was stronger and more secure to the wall, as the upper
part was very dangerous with his weight attached to it.

The mob came on, very sure of having Sir Francis Varney in their power,
and they did not hurry on so violently, as their position was dangerous
at that hour of the night.

"Easy, boys, easy," was the cry. "The bird is our own; he can't get
away, that's very certain."

They, however, came on, and took no time about it hardly; but what was
their amazement and rage at finding he had disappeared.

"Where is he?" was the universal inquiry, and "I don't know," an almost
universal answer.

There was a long pause, while they searched around; but they saw no
vestige of the object of their search.

"There's no trap door open," remarked one; "and I don't think he could
have got in at any one."

"Perhaps, finding he could not get away, he has taken the desperate
expedient of j