gum on Madison Square, has preferred to share
the rigours of an unknown exile, that she might protect the youthful
innocence of our leading lady."

"All of which means," said Spotts shortly, "that Mill and Kerrington
chose to fake it out in town, while you and the old girl bolted."

"Our friend," remarked Smith, casting an aggrieved look at the last
speaker, "is lamentably terse. But let us join Mrs. Mackintosh. She
will support my remarks, not perhaps in such chaste diction, but--"

"Oh, shut it off!" interrupted Mr. Spotts. "Come along, Othniel. I guess
you're in this, too." And he led the way into the house.

When they entered the private parlour they found Mrs. Mackintosh and
Miss Arminster waiting to receive them, the old lady with mingled
feelings of righteous indignation and amusement at the ludicrous
position in which they were placed, which latter she strove hard to
conceal.

"Well, Bishop," she began, as soon as Banborough was fairly in the room,
"you've carried off an innocent and unsuspecting young lady in a Black
Maria, imprisoned an officer of the law, deceived his agents, reduced
two of the members of our company to walking the streets, forced us to
consort with thieves and criminals," pointing to the bland form of the
Quaker, who had just appeared in the doorway, "laid us all under the
imputation of plotting against our country, exiled us from our native
land, brought me away from New York in my declining years, with only the
clothes I stand up in, and deposited me in a small room on the third
floor of a second-class hotel, which is probably full of fleas! And now
I ask you, sir, in the name of Christian decency, which you're supposed
to represent, and common sense, of which you've very little, what
you're going to do with us?"

Banborough sat down suddenly on the nearest available chair, made a weak
attempt at a smile, gave it up, and blurted out:

"Well, I'm blessed if I know! But permit me to decline the declining
years," he murmured gallantly.

"I have," continued the lady, with a twinkle in her eye, "for the past
thirty years played blameless parts on the metropolitan stage, and I'm
too old to assume with any degree of success the role of a political
criminal."

"Madam," said the author, making a desperate effort to compose himself,
"I'm the first to admit the lack of foresight on my part which has
placed us in this deplorable predicament; but the fact remains that
we're suspected of a se