lmost immediate upon the imprisonment, they did not
press the point. Rowland and Mr and Mrs Jones, pitying Mrs Jenkins in
her evident misery, would have had her remain amongst them, but she
insisted on taking a lodging near the gaol, that she might, at least, be
in her son's neighbourhood, and hear from his attorney and others of his
health daily.

He was always reported to be well, and in good spirits, and indeed was
so, to all appearance. He ate, drank, and slept much as if he had never
committed crimes that at one period would have brought him to the
gallows; and to the last moment of his leaving the prison for his trial,
jauntily talked of what he should do when he was out of 'that confounded
hole.'

It was with great difficulty that Rowland persuaded Mrs Jenkins to
remain in her lodging during the time of the trial, which he attended
himself, more on her account than his own; for he was so fully convinced
of Howel's guilt, that he knew he should only witness his degradation.

In the court he fell in with Captain Dancy, who told him that he had
wished to say a good word for Howel on his wife's account, for whom he
entertained a great respect; but that Howel had positively refused any
aid whatever from him. He thought this strange, as he owed him a large
sum of money, and he had not brought forward his claim. Rowland thought
it strange too, not knowing then, that Howel had one soft part in his
hard nature, and that was love for Netta.

Howel bore the summing up of the judge and his severe reprimand with
indifference. He seemed slightly moved when the sentence was pronounced;
but recovering perfect calmness, he said aloud, so that the whole court
could hear,--'If I am guilty, my prosecutors are guilty, and all the
speculators in the world are guilty.'

When Rowland went to Mrs Jenkins' lodging after all was over, he found
Mrs Jones with her, her husband having been with him during the trial.
Mrs Jones had been endeavouring to prepare the poor mother for the
probable sentence, but nothing could persuade her that 'her Howels, so
clever, so genteel, who dined with the Queen and Prince Albert, and was
handsomer than the Prince, for she had seen him,' could be transported
for forgery.

When Rowland told her the truth, as gently as he could, the effect it
had upon her was quite different from what he had expected. She burst
into a passion, not of grief, but of rage. She had been drinking brandy
before Mrs Jones went