b, and his original crime would have been somewhat glozed over by
his success in arms. But such good fortune had not been his. He was
forced, however, on the moment to decide as to what he would do.

"We've got him here in custody, sir," said Bushers, touching his hat.
It had become known from the guard that Crosbie was somewhat of a big
man, a frequent guest at Courcy Castle, and of repute and station in
the higher regions of the Metropolitan world. "The magistrates will
be sitting at Paddington, now, sir,--or will be by the time we get
there."

By this time some mighty railway authority had come upon the scene
and made himself cognisant of the facts of the row,--a stern official
who seemed to carry the weight of many engines on his brow; one at
the very sight of whom smokers would drop their cigars, and porters
close their fists against sixpences; a great man with an erect chin,
a quick step, and a well-brushed hat powerful with an elaborately
upturned brim. This was the platform-superintendent, dominant even
over the policemen.

"Step into my room, Mr Crosbie," he said. "Stubbs, bring that man
in with you." And then, before Crosbie had been able to make up
his mind as to any other line of conduct, he found himself in the
superintendent's room, accompanied by the guard, and by the two
policemen who conducted Johnny Eames between them.

"What's all this?" said the superintendent, still keeping on his hat,
for he was aware how much of the excellence of his personal dignity
was owing to the arrangement of that article; and as he spoke he
frowned upon the culprit with his utmost severity. "Mr Crosbie, I am
very sorry that you should have been exposed to such brutality on our
platform."

"You don't know what he has done," said Johnny. "He is the most
confounded scoundrel living. He has broken--" But then he stopped
himself. He was going to tell the superintendent that the confounded
scoundrel had broken a beautiful young lady's heart; but he bethought
himself that he would not allude more specially to Lily Dale in that
hearing.

"Do you know who he is, Mr Crosbie?" said the superintendent.

"Oh, yes," said Crosbie, whose eye was already becoming blue. "He is
a clerk in the Income-tax Office, and his name is Eames. I believe
you had better leave him to me."

But the superintendent at once wrote down the words "Income-tax
Office--Eames," on his tablet. "We can't allow a row like that to
take place on our platform