pare him! spare him!" cried Mrs. Sheppard, falling on her knees.

"Get up, mother," cried Jack; "do not kneel to him. I wouldn't accept my
life from him. I've foiled him hitherto, and will foil him yet. And,
come what will, I'll balk him of the satisfaction of hanging me."

Jonathan raised his bludgeon, but controlled himself by a powerful
effort.

"Fool!" he cried, "do you think I wouldn't have secured you before this
if I hadn't some motive for my forbearance?"

"And that motive is fear," replied Jack contemptuously.

"Fear!" echoed Wild, in a terrible tone,--"fear! Repeat that word again,
and nothing shall save you."

"Don't anger him, my dear son," implored the poor widow, with a look of
anguish at Jack. "Perhaps he means well."

"Mad as you are, you're the more sensible of the two, I must say,"
rejoined Jonathan.

"Spare him!" cried Mrs, Sheppard, who fancied she had made some
impression on the obdurate breast of the thief-taker,--"spare him! and I
will forgive you, will thank you, bless you. Spare him! spare him!"

"On one condition I _will_ spare him," returned Wild; "on one condition
only."

"What is it?" asked the poor woman.

"Either he or you must return with me," answered Jonathan.

"Take _me_, then," replied the widow. And she would have rushed to him,
if she had not been forcibly withheld by her son.

"Do not go near him, mother," cried Jack; "do not believe him. There is
some deep treachery hidden beneath his words."

"I _will_ go," said Mrs. Sheppard, struggling to get free.

"Attend to me, Mrs. Sheppard," said Jonathan, looking calmly on at this
distressing scene, "Attend to me, and do not heed him. I swear to you,
solemnly swear to you, I will save your son's life, nay more, will
befriend him, will place him out of the reach of his enemies, if you
consent to become my wife."

"Execrable villain!" exclaimed Jack.

"You hear that," cried Mrs. Sheppard; "he swears to save you."

"Well," replied her son; "and you spurn the proposal."

"No; she accepts it," rejoined Jonathan, triumphantly. "Come along, Mrs.
Sheppard. I've a carriage within call shall convey you swiftly to town.
Come! come!"

"Hear me, mother," cried Jack, "and I will explain to you _why_ the
villain makes this strange and revolting proposal. He well knows that
but two lives--those of Thames Darrell and Sir Rowland Trenchard,--stand
between you and the vast possessions of the family. Those lives
removed,--and Sir Row