sentinel; and now for your departure." He led O'Hara to the open window. "You may have been unprovided for this rapid journey, and you will oblige me by taking from this purse what money you require-take all, if necessary, and we will let the tailor suffer for another year. Nay, I mean no offence, upon my soul.

soul. Well, as you say your treasury is in order, I wont be importunate. Here, Nell— keep the yellow boys!" and he flung the heavy purse upon the table, and throwing a rope ladder from the window, desired Henry to follow him, and in a moment both were in the Park.

Stamford led the way to the old dark building called the Anatomy House; the key he used admitted them to its gloomy garden; all was quiet, and the young men conversed in cautious whispers. They reached the wicket which led into Nassau-street, and Henry's conductor opened the door; he paused to listen for a moment-no cause of alarm appeared—“ All is safe," he murmured, "and now God speed you, my friend!" Ere Henry could reply, the

VOL. II.

L

key grated in the lock, and he stood alone and

at liberty.

Fortune, which hitherto had seemed systematically to impede the many attempts he had made to reach his home, now favoured the undertaking. The countersign enabled him to pass the numerous guards which formed a military cordon round the city. He found fresh relays at the different stages; and, on the following evening, he descended the high grounds which command the town of Newbridge, as the clock of the Market-house chimed four.

CHAPTER VIII.

Oh! for a tongue to curse the slave,
Whose treason, like a deadly blight,
Comes o'er the counsels of the brave,

And blasts them in their hour of night.

Moore.

NEWBRIDGE is situated in a level valley, environed on every side by hills: the streets are close and narrow, and as the lines of building are unequal, the appearance of the town is gloomy and irregular. Nearly in the centre stands the market-place, a large and angular area, which the inhabitants designate by misnomer "the square." Here the extremities of the three principal streets converge, the markethouse forming the point of union. In this edifice, in olden time, all the important affairs of the worthy burghers were transacted. The lower part of the building, supported by open arches, was allotted to the customary purposes

of trade, while in the upper story, quartersessions and manor-courts were holden. Knights for the shire were elected, absentees were bravely feasted on the joyous occasion of a septennial visit, and spinsters, old and young, delighted by the festivities of an annual race-ball.

This edifice, on this day, witnessed a scene of a different description. There a court sat in judgment on the unfortunate Major O'Hara ;

and within these very walls, where he had so often mingled in the ball and the banquetwhere he had first whispered that faithful love which followed its object to the tomb-where his health had been toasted by the noble, and his name had been shouted by the mob-there had the summary forms of an unconstitutional law been hurried over-there a drunken jury had declared him guilty, and there a heartless judge was pronouncing the appalling sentence which consigned him in a few short hours to the scaffold.

During the preceding day, most of the resident gentry came in from the neighbourhood to the town; and from the first light of morning, the humbler classes flocked in such multitudes,

that the streets were crowded at an early hour, The guards doubled at the barrier gates-the silent, but troubled demeanour of the populace the deserted market and closed shops, gave a portentous warning that some dark scene was about to be transacted. Although the concourse of people was immense, there was a terrible and awful stillness. Presently the sudden crash of military music arrested. the attention of all, and the highland regiment which garrisoned the town issued through the castle gate, and occupied the main street. Soon after, bugles in a different direction were heard, and by parallel roads a column of infantry and squadron of cavalry appeared approaching; their advanced guards entered the town by different streets, and in a few minutes the light brigade from Blaris camp, with four field-pieces, united in the square with the Fifth Dragoons, forming a cordon round the markethouse.

When these military arrangements were completed, Mr. Justice, escorted by a troop of mounted yeomen, arrived and took his seat upon the bench; and O'Hara, under a strong