ing his balance, he fell to the
ground, and, when taken up, he was perfectly insensible. In this state,
he was laid upon a bench, to sleep off his drunken fit, while his
wretched mother, in spite of her passionate supplications and
resistance, was, by Blueskin's command, forcibly ejected from the house,
and driven out of the Mint.

CHAPTER XV.

The Robbery in Willesden Church.

During the whole of the next day and night, the poor widow hovered like
a ghost about the precincts of the debtors' garrison,--for admission (by
the Master's express orders,) was denied her. She could learn nothing of
her son, and only obtained one solitary piece of information, which
added to, rather than alleviated her misery,--namely, that Jonathan Wild
had paid a secret visit to the Cross Shovels. At one time, she
determined to go to Wych Street, and ask Mr. Wood's advice and
assistance, but the thought of the reception she was likely to meet with
from his wife deterred her from executing this resolution. Many other
expedients occurred to her; but after making several ineffectual
attempts to get into the Mint unobserved, they were all abandoned.

At length, about an hour before dawn on the second day--Sunday--having
spent the early part of the night in watching at the gates of the
robbers' sanctuary, and being almost exhausted from want of rest, she
set out homewards. It was a long walk she had to undertake, even if she
had endured no previous fatigue, but feeble as she was, it was almost
more than she could accomplish. Daybreak found her winding her painful
way along the Harrow Road; and, in order to shorten the distance as much
as possible, she took the nearest cut, and struck into the meadows on
the right. Crossing several fields, newly mown, or filled with lines of
tedded hay, she arrived, not without great exertion, at the summit of a
hill. Here her strength completely failed her, and she was compelled to
seek some repose. Making her couch upon a heap of hay, she sank at once
into a deep and refreshing slumber.

When she awoke, the sun was high in Heaven. It was a bright and
beautiful day: _so_ bright, so beautiful, that even her sad heart was
cheered by it. The air, perfumed with the delicious fragrance of the
new-mown grass, was vocal with the melodies of the birds; the thick
foliage of the trees was glistening in the sunshine; all nature seemed
happy and rejoicing; but, above all, the serene Sabbath stillness
reigning ar