cannot say that their departure caused me any particular emotion, except of pleasure, for I was now Jessie's acknowledged protector, which I could not feel myself whilst there was any other claimant at hand. She had already become familiarized to her situation had learnt to call me brother, which was the nearest relationship I had mustered courage to propose; and was finding out all my aunt's loveable points as fast as she could. Every thing was going on completely to my satisfaction, when I was startled by the announcement of my friend Jep, the Tinker. Jep entered upon tiptoe, a mode of progression which he had contracted from long habit, in consequence of the creaking of shoes being particularly hostile to some of his avocations. Disquiet seemed written upon his sooty visage in remarkably large characters, and I inquired with some trepidation the cause of his visit.

"They wanted me to tell my errand down stairs," said Jep, "but I thought you would not like me to trust them.”

"Well, Jep; what is it? a hare sitting?" "Worse than that, Squire ;-the devil is

sitting, and I doubt he'll hatch some rare mischief: Billy Skulker is in quod, and sentenced to be whipped."

"For what?"

"For stealing geese."

What is that to me? I was not of the party?"

"No, Squire; but the varlet swears you must get him off, or he'll peach about DeadMan's Corner."

I know not which was greatest, my fear or my rage; I stared at the Lieutenant, with my fist clenched, and my hair standing on end..

"Ay, Squire," continued the Engineer, "I thought you would not altogether approve of it-I told him it was not gentlemanlike if it had been me, I'd have taken my lacing honourably. Nobody should say that I ever peached, and I would not do such a blackguard trick if any one was to give me a guinea for it."{

"The scoundrel!" I exclaimed, "go back and tell him I grieve that I have not power to do him service, or he should, most assuredly, be whipped according to his merits."

Jep was a man of mettle, swore I acted like

a true Christian, and conjured me, by the success of the last speculation, not to think of leaving off business. He recommended me, by no means, to be daunted by the apostacy of the Skulker, for the rest were all true men, and would stand boldly by my side in triumph or in fetters, just as it might happen. They pronounced me to be the best captain alive, and the Smasher confessed that I was the hardest hitter of my weight that he had ever met with. "As for Will Skulker," Jep added, "let him split and be hanged; it is but three months' imprisonment for us, and if you don't care, I'm sure I don't: I'd as soon be in quod as not."

Boldly as I conducted myself in the presence of my Lieutenant, I will not deny that as soon as he departed I found myself shivering with the most horrible alarm; but I still felt that to have bought myself off from the consequences of a threat would have been a meanness far worse than any of the follies I had yet been guilty of. Under this impression, I contrived to keep up an appearance of equanimity, but my frame was in a fever-my nights restless→.

and my poor dear aunt made sure that I was going to die. The everlasting idea of being disgraced in the eyes of Jessie was beyond my powers of endurance, for I seemed to love her in proportion to my savage, uncultivated state. My feelings had never known the moderation of reason, and had I been led to believe my exposure inevitable, I know not to what rash act I might not have been impelled. This intense disquietude increased daily, and it is scarcely possible for those more inured to the world, and capable of seeing the simplicity of my fears, to conceive the extreme agony I suffered. I almost began to think poaching a bad trade, and resolved that I would some day endeavour to amend.

Several days elapsed without producing the expected visitation of justice-I was beginning to think of quitting my room, and to fancy that my fears had been delusive, when I was informed that John the constable was desirous of seeing me, and before I could make inquiries or decide which way to run, in he walked without ceremony. John was a butcher in the neighbourhood, a sleek, stall-fed ox of a fellow,

with a good-natured, but, as I fancied, an official aspect, which had never pleased me? and as soon as the servant had quitted the room, he began fumbling in his pocket for something which I suspected might possibly turn out to be a pair of handcuffs I had no weapon at hand but a long old-fashioned candlestick, by which my aunt and Jessie had read me to sleep the night before. I snatched it from the chair on which it stood, and was meditating à tournament; previous to which, however, I thought it prudent to open a parley, and inquire his business with me. John pro duced an ominous looking paper, which startled me infinitely more than the sight of a pistol would have done. He told me it was a subpœna, which my extensive knowledge of the law conjured immediately into a summons to take my trial. My agitation showed clearly the mistake I was under, and John could scarcely help grinning-" Why, lord, master,' said he," don't you know what a subpœná is ? Jep the Tinker could have told you that, for I have just given him one, and he knew all about it. But then to be sure he was an old friend