a goblet he did bring out of it sundry gold rings, with precious stones therein.

"Nay, I must have some of those!" cried Jack, making a snatch at them.

"I'll see thee hanged ere I will let thee," replied Tony, quickly placing the goblet out of the other's reach.

"'Sblood!-but I will be even with thee!" muttered his associate, regarding him with a threatening visage, which he seemed in no way to heed.

"Tush!-what care I?" said the other. "Find a goblet for thyself, and mayhap thou shalt have good store of jewellery in it.”

66

Thy greediness is properly punished—for see! here be something worth more than all thy paltry rings.” And, as he opened a jewel case, he exhibited a costly necklace of pearls set in fine gold.

"I had mine eyes on that ere thou didst lay a finger on't," said Tony, exceeding vexed that he had missed so fair a prize.

"Tush! what care I?" replied Jack, in the very words his associate had used a moment

since.

"Wilt let me have no share in't?" asked the first, staring on the jewel and then on the thief with eyes of devilish covetousness and malice. "Share in't!" exclaimed the other with a

scornful laugh. "Not so much as would buy thee a rope to hang thyself with."

"Then take that!" cried Tony, thrusting his dagger at him.

"What!-wouldst stab, villain?" shouted Jack, starting up in a monstrous rage on finding himself wounded. "Then here's at thee."

"And that-and that!" continued his companion, repeating his blows which the other tried to ward off.

Murderous devil-I had thee there!" exclaimed the other, as he succeeded in digging his weapon into his opponent's shoulder; and thereupon commenced the most sanguinary fight that ever was seen; for the two villains, smarting with pain and rage, and driven on by extreme thirst for gain, did follow each other round and about the room, cutting furiously one at the other's flesh, with abundance of curses and execrations,-their looks all the while being more resembling those of fiends than of any thing human, and their bodies streaming with gore from their different wounds. Gregory Vellum, half dead with fright, stared upon the spectacle with eyes ready to start from his head; his teeth chattered as if there was no keeping them quiet; and at every blow that was struck he gave a wince as if the weapon entered his own flesh. They passed him close several times, and one

striking furiously at the other upon the moment, some blood did spirt over his face, at the which he seemed ready to give up the ghost, he uttered so pitiful a scream. This might have brought on him more dreadful punishment from the two robbers; yet were they so fired by their mutual hatred one of the other, and each so eager to destroy his associate, that neither did take of him the slightest notice.

All on a sudden, having dropped their daggers, they had got locked in each other's clutch, pulling here and pulling there, tearing at each other's hair, and giving blows with all their strength, when tumbling over something, both came to the ground together and began rolling over and over, swearing horribly, and striving to bite at each other's faces. Surely never were two such incarnate demons seen. There appeared to be nothing human of them, and the mutual deadliness of their hatred was terrible to look upon.

“ To hell with thee for a monstrous murderous villain as thou art!" cried Jack, who having recovered his weapon as he passed over it, had plunged it into Tony's breast as he lay upon him. The other raised his head as if with one last effort, and fixed his teeth in the cheek of his murderer.

"Ah!" screamed he in agony, letting his head

fall with that of his companion. "Unclose thy villainous teeth!" Jack then stabbed the other several times whilst writhing above him with the pain, expecting to get free thereby; but he was in the gripe of the dead, and all his cutting and screaming availed him none at all. The torture he endured must have been fearful, for the perspiration run down over his face in a thick shower, as he sometimes was cursing dreadfully, sometimes making very pitiful moanings. At last, as if unable to bear it any longer, he thrust his dagger into the dead man's mouth, unlocked his jaws, and freed his own lacerated face.

"A murrain on thee, thou pestilent villain!" exclaimed the survivor, casting wrathful glances at his fallen comrade, "if thou hadst any life in thy treacherous body, I would hack thee into shreds for having so spoilt my face: but I have mauled thee beyond all hope, that's one comfort. 'Slife-how I do bleed!" he added, as he looked to his hurts, which were by no means attempt to bandage them. methinks, hath an ugly look. cursed knave hast thou been,

slight or few, and did "This dig in my side, Alack, what a thrice Tony! and a fool to

boot. Not content with thine own gettings, thou didst covet mine; and now I have all."

"Oh!" groaned the old miser.

"What! dost attempt to give the alarm?” cried

out the robber. "Nay, then will I settle thee at once." He rose with his dagger in his hand, as if to put his threat into execution, but his foot slipped in the blood that had dabbled the boards, and in falling he burst the bandage he had tied over his wound in the side, which began to bleed afresh. At this he renewed his execrations, and again essayed to stop the hemorrhage; but he seemed getting weaker rapidly, his hands were exceeding unsteady, and his eyes appeared to swim in their sockets. 66 Oh, I be deadly sick!" he exclaimed in a faint voice, as he supported himself on one hand, sitting on the floor; thereat his head drooped on his shoulder, his arm gave way from under him; and he fell smack upon his back with a loud groan.

Gregory Vellum had watched the struggles of the surviving villain with mingled horror and fright— for a more ghastly object never presented itself to the eye-his face being so dreadfully disfigured and covered with dust and gore, from amid which the ferocious expression of his eyes glared upon the trembling scrivener, whenever he turned in that direction, in a manner so terrible, that it made him feel as if his heart was bursting in twain. Seeing him fall and lie motionless, he did think he was dead, the thought whereof gave him inexpressible comfort; but not liking the idea of being kept