s he conceived--so far out of his course. Before retracing
his steps, however, he allowed his gaze to range over the vast and
beautiful prospect spread out beneath him, which is now hidden, from the
traveller's view by the high walls of the General Cemetery, and can,
consequently, only be commanded from the interior of that attractive
place of burial,--and which, before it was intersected by canals and
railroads, and portioned out into hippodromes, was exquisite indeed.
After feasting his eye upon this superb panorama, he was about to
return, when he ascertained from a farmer that his nearest road to
Willesden would be down a lane a little further on, to the right.
Following this direction, he opened a gate, and struck into one of the
most beautiful green lanes imaginable; which, after various windings,
conducted him into a more frequented road, and eventually brought him to
the place he sought. Glancing at the finger-post over the cage, which
has been described as situated at the outskirts of the village, and
seeing no directions to Dollis Hill, he made fresh inquiries as to where
it lay, from an elderly man, who was standing with another countryman
near the little prison.

"Whose house do you want, master?" said the man, touching his hat.

"Mr. Wood's," was the reply.

"There is Dollis Hill," said the man, pointing to a well-wooded eminence
about a mile distant, "and there," he added, indicating the roof of a
house just visible above a grove of trees "is Mr. Wood's. If you ride
past the church, and mount the hill, you'll come to Neasdon and then
you'll not have above half a mile to go."

The young man thanked his informant, and was about to follow his
instructions, when the other called after him----

"I say, master, did you ever hear tell of Mr. Wood's famous 'prentice?"

"What apprentice?" asked the stranger, in surprise.

"Why, Jack Sheppard, the notorious house-breaker,--him as has robbed
half Lunnun, to be sure. You must know, Sir, when he was a lad, the day
after he broke into his master's house in Wych Street, he picked a
gentleman's pocket in our church, during sarvice time,--that he did, the
heathen. The gentleman catched him i' th' fact, and we shut him up for
safety i' that pris'n. But," said the fellow, with a laugh, "he soon
contrived to make his way out on it, though. Ever since he's become so
famous, the folks about here ha' christened it Jack Sheppard's cage. His
mother used to live i' this vill