drinking. The gentlemen partook then of brandy-and-water, which they
offered to the ladies, not heeding the terrified looks of one or the
other.

Whilst they were so engaged, at about six o'clock in the evening, Mr.
Morgan, Sir Francis Clavering's new man, came in, and was requested to
drink. He selected his favourite beverage, and the parties engaged in
general conversation.

After a while Mr. Lightfoot began to doze. Mr. Morgan had repeatedly
given hints to Mrs. Fribsby to quit the premises; but that lady,
strangely fascinated, and terrified it would seem, or persuaded by Mrs.
Lightfoot not to go, kept her place. Her persistence occasioned much
annoyance to Mr. Morgan, who vented his displeasure in such language as
gave pain to Mrs. Lightfoot, and caused Mr. Altamont to say, that he was
a rum customer, and not polite to the sex.

The altercation between the two gentlemen became very painful to the
women, especially to Mrs. Lightfoot, who did everything to soothe Mr.
Morgan; and, under pretence of giving a pipe-light to the stranger, she
handed him a paper on which she had privily written the words, "He knows
you. Go." There may have been something suspicious in her manner of
handing, or in her guest's of reading, the paper; for when he got up
a short time afterwards, and said he would go to bed, Morgan rose too,
with a laugh, and said it was too early to go to bed.

The stranger then said he would go to his bedroom. Morgan said he would
show him the way.

At this the guest said, "Come up. I've got a brace of pistols up there
to blow out the brains of any traitor or skulking spy," and glared so
fiercely upon Morgan, that the latter, seizing hold of Lightfoot by the
collar, and waking him, said, "John Amory, I arrest you in the Queen's
name. Stand by me, Lightfoot. This capture is worth a thousand pounds."

He put forward his hand as if to seize his prisoner, but the other,
doubling his fist, gave Morgan with his left hand so fierce a blow
on the chest, that it knocked him back behind Mr. Lightfoot. That
gentleman, who was athletic and courageous, said he would knock his
guest's head off, and prepared to do so, as the stranger, tearing off
his coat, and cursing both of his opponents, roared to them to come on.

But with a piercing scream Mrs. Lightfoot flung herself before her
husband, whilst with another and louder shriek Madame Fribsby ran to the
stranger, and calling out "Armstrong, Johnny Armstrong!" seized