the agony of his emotions, and his voice was
so sharply terrible that it went like a knife into the heart of the men,
who, thrust aside for the moment, now followed him, fearful, into the
room.

"Mr.--Mr. Chapman, sir," faltered the Mayor, striving hard to recover
dignity and self-possession, "I am astonished at your--your--"

"Audacity!" interposed Mr. Williams.

"My child! my Sophy! my child! answer me, man!" "Sir," said the Mayor,
drawing himself up, "have you not got the note which I left at my
bailiff's cottage in case you called there?"

"Your note! this thing!" said Waife, striking a crumpled paper with his
hand, and running his eye over its contents. "You have rendered up, you
say, the child to her lawful protector? Gracious heavens! did I trust
her to you, or not?"

"Leave the room all of you," said the Mayor, with a sudden return of his
usual calm vigour.

"You go,--you, sirs; what the deuce do you do here?" growled Williams
to the meaner throng. "Out! I stay, never fear, men, I'll take care of
him!"

The bystanders surlily slunk off: but none returned to their work; they
stood within reach of call by the shut door. Williams tucked up his
coat-sleeves, clenched his fists, hung his head doggedly on one side,
and looked altogether so pugnacious and minatory that Sir Isaac,
who, though in a state of great excitement, had hitherto retained
self-control, peered at him under his curls, stiffened his back, showed
his teeth, and growled formidably.

"My good Williams, leave us," said the Mayor; "I would be alone with
this person."

"Alone,--you! out of the question. Now you have been once taken in, and
you own it,--it is my duty to protect you henceforth; and I will to the
end of my days."

The Mayor sighed heavily. "Well, Williams, well!--take a chair, and be
quiet. Now, Mr. Chapman, so to call you still; you have deceived me."

"I? how?"

The Mayor was puzzled. "Deceived me," he said at last, "in my knowledge
of human nature. I thought you an honest man, sir. And you are--but no
matter."

WAIFE (impatiently).--"My child! my child! you have given her up
to--to--"

MAYOR.--"Her own father, sir."

WAIFE (echoing the words as he staggers back).--"I thought so! I thought
it!"

MAYOR.--"In so doing I obeyed the law: he had legal power to enforce his
demand." The Mayor's voice was almost apologetic in its tone; for he was
affected by Waife's anguish, and not able to silence a pang of
remorse. After