police. As far as his memory went back he had always known them. But
the sportive industry of his boyish years was not now counted up
against him. In the last fifteen years his biography had been written
with all the accuracy due to the achievements of a great man; and
during those hundred and eighty months he had spent over one hundred
in prison, and had been convicted twenty-three times. He was now
growing old,--as a thief; and it was thought by his friends that he
would be settled for life in some quiet retreat. Mr. Benjamin was a
very respectable-looking man of about fifty, with slightly grizzled
hair, with excellent black clothes, showing, by a surprised air, his
great astonishment at finding himself in such a position. He spoke
constantly, both to his attorney and to the barrister who was to
show cause why he should not be committed, and throughout the whole
morning was very busy. Smiler, who was quite at home, and who
understood his position, never said a word to any one. He stood,
perfectly straight, looking at the magistrate, and never for a moment
leaning on the rail before him during the four hours that the case
consumed. Once, when his friend, Billy Cann, was brought into court
to give evidence against him, dressed up to the eyes, serene and
sleek as when we saw him once before at the "Rising Sun," in Meek
Street, Smiler turned a glance upon him which, to the eyes of all
present, contained a threat of most bloody revenge. But Billy knew
the advantages of his situation, and nodded at his old comrade, and
smiled. His old comrade was very much stronger than he, and possessed
of many natural advantages; but, perhaps, upon the whole, his old
comrade had been the less intelligent thief of the two. It was thus
that the bystanders read the meaning of Billy's smile.

The case was opened very shortly and very clearly by the gentleman
who was employed for the prosecution. It would all, he said, have
laid in a nutshell, had it not been complicated by a previous robbery
at Carlisle. Were it necessary, he said, there would be no difficulty
in convicting the prisoners for that offence also, but it had been
thought advisable to confine the prosecution to the act of burglary
committed in Hertford Street. He stated the facts of what had
happened at Carlisle, merely for explanation, but would state nothing
that could not be proved. Then he told all that the reader knows
about the iron box. But the diamonds were not then in t