nly be quick." In less than live minutes the
tattered prison dress was lying in the bed of the river, and we were
making our way along the path towards old Jasper's cottage.

The convict spoke but once, and that as we reached the cottage gate:
"is he very ill, sir?"

"Very ill," I said. He stood for a moment, inhaling the fragrance of
the roses in great breaths, and staring about him; then with an abrupt
gesture he opened the little gate, and gliding up the path with his
furtive, stealthy footstep knocked at the door. For some half hour the
Imp and I strolled to and fro in the moonlight, during which he related
to me much about his outlaw and the many "ruses he had employed to get
him provision." How upon one occasion, to escape the watchful eyes of
Auntie Lisbeth, he had been compelled to hide a slice of jam-tart in
the trousers-pockets, to the detriment of each; how Dorothy had watched
him everywhere in the momentary expectation of "something happening;"
how Jane and Peter and cook would stand and stare and shake their heads
at him because he ate such a lot, "an' the worst of it was I was aw
full' hungry all the time, you know, Uncle Dick!" This and much more
he told me as we waited there in the moonlight.

At last the cottage door opened and the convict came out. He did not
join us at once, but remained staring away towards the river, though I
saw him jerk his sleeve across his eyes more than once in his furtive,
stealthy fashion; but when at last he came up to us his face was firm
and resolute.

"Did you see old Jasper?" I asked.

"Yes, sir; I saw him."

"Is he any better?"

"Much better--he died in my arms, sir. An' now I'm ready to go back,
there's a police-station in the village." He stopped suddenly and
turned to stare back at the lighted windows of the cottage, and when he
spoke again his voice sounded hoarser than ever.

"Thought I'd come back from furrin parts, 'e did, wi' my pockets
stuffed full o' gold an' bank-notes. Called me 'is bye Jarge, 'e did!"
and again he brushed his cuff across his eyes.

"Masters I don't know who ye may be, but I'm grateful to ye an' more
than grateful, sir. An' now I'm ready to go back an' finish my time."

"How much longer is that?"

"Three years, sir."

"And when you come out, what shall you do then?"

"Start all over again, sir; try to get some honest work an' live
straight."

"Do you think you can?"

"I know I can, sir. Ye see, he died in my arm