ompare _your_ love--a love
which all may purchase--with _hers_? No one has ever loved me."

"Except me, dear," insinuated Edgeworth Bess. "I've been always true to
you."

"Peace!" retorted Jack, with increased bitterness. "I'm your dupe no
longer."

"What the devil's in the wind now, Captain?" cried Blueskin, in
astonishment.

"I'll tell you," replied Jack, with forced calmness. "Within the last
few minutes, all my guilty life has passed before me. Nine years ago, I
was honest--was happy. Nine years ago, I worked in this very house--had
a kind indulgent master, whom I robbed--twice robbed, at your
instigation, villain; a mistress, whom you have murdered; a companion,
whose friendship I have for ever forfeited; a mother, whose heart I have
well-nigh broken. In this room was my ruin begun: in this room it should
be ended."

"Come, come, don't take on thus, Captain," cried Blueskin, rising and
walking towards him. "If any one's to blame, it's me. I'm ready to bear
it all."

"Can you make me honest?" cried Jack. "Can you make me other than a
condemned felon? Can you make me not Jack Sheppard?"

"No," replied Blueskin; "and I wouldn't if I could."

"Curse you!" cried Jack, furiously,--"curse you!--curse you!"

"Swear away, Captain," rejoined Blueskin, coolly. "It'll ease your
mind."

"Do you mock me?" cried Jack, levelling a pistol at him.

"Not I," replied Blueskin. "Take my life, if you're so disposed. You're
welcome to it. And let's see if either of these women, who prate of
their love for you, will do as much."

"This is folly," cried Jack, controlling himself by a powerful effort.

"The worst of folly," replied Blueskin, returning to the table, and
taking up a glass; "and, to put an end to it, I shall drink the health
of Jack Sheppard, the housebreaker, and success to him in all his
enterprises. And now, let's see who'll refuse the pledge."

"_I_ will," replied Sheppard, dashing the glass from his hand. "Sit
down, fool!"

"Jack," said Kneebone, who had been considerably interested by the
foregoing scene, "are these regrets for your past life sincere?"

"Suppose them so," rejoined Jack, "what then?"

"Nothing--nothing," stammered Kneebone, his prudence getting the better
of his sympathy. "I'm glad to hear it, that's all," he added, taking out
his snuff-box, his never-failing resource in such emergencies. "It won't
do to betray the officer," he muttered.

"O lud! what an exquisite box!" cried Edgew