worked upon the Lascar's mind—the latter happening to be completely out of cash and employment, and ready for anything-that he at once decided on endeavouring to possess himself of the poor woman's little wealth, especially as so little risk was to be run. In one of Tom's drunken lurches, his clasp knife had fallen out of his pocket, and it rolled unobserved into the corner where the Lascar was sitting, so he appropriated it, and again lost it in his turn during the scuffle with Rawlins in the bed-room.

As soon as he could do so unperceived, the Lascar slunk off away from the Golden Eagle, and made himself scarce until he considered the time arrived for the robbery. Hiding in the vicinity of the widow's cottage, he had examined the entrance and observed the condition in which Tom was brought home by the ostler.

With little fear of discovery, he finally climbed to the top of the carpenter's shed previously described, and listened for a time at the small round window. Tom was snoring heavily, and everything seemed safe. He then tried to introduce himself into the house by this aperture. Much vexed at being unsuccessful, and determined not to give up so easy a way of enriching himself, he stripped entirely, and with some little management at last effected an entrance.

Stepping lightly over the drunken son, he proceeded to the widow's room, possessed himself of the watch, and, in the endeavour to discover the sovereigns in the long bag under the mattrass,

awakened the old woman, who immediately screamed. The first thought of the Lascar, was to smother her, but she escaped, and began to make so much noise, that in spite of his knowledge of her son's condition, he was alarmed, and drawing a sharp knife, which he had always in his possession, he felt for her throat, and in a moment the deed was done.

Tom then appeared, only just recovering from his stupor, never having before seen a black man, and the murderer being unusually swarthy, and naked too, the brain of the poor fellow, at no time particularly strong, conceived the idea, when the early morning discovered to him the frightful visage of the Lascar, that he was struggling with the Evil One himself! At this sight he lost confidence and strength for the moment, which gave the East Indian an advantage, which he used in the manner already detailed, and made his exit afterwards as speedily and noiselessly as possible, having only obtained the watch for booty; and this watch he shortly afterwards managed to dispose of for a portion of its value in another part of the world.

When I left the port (concluded the doctor) it had, of course, been decided that the Lascar should suffer the extreme penalty of the law. As for Tom, he obtained plenty of employment, and sympathy for the suffering he had so unjustly gone through, and is, doubtless, now a most thriving man in the colony, and a staunch supporter of the principles of the Teetotallers.

CHAPTER XIX.

A NOT(E)ABLE DISCOVERY.

"Then let me not let pass Occasion, which now smiles."

MILTON.

DURING the course of my illness, Mr. and Mrs. Spriggs had shown themselves to be true friends by their kind and unremitting attentions. Several times a week one or the other visited me, bringing anything which they thought might tend to abbreviate my period of suffering.

When I began to grow stronger and was able to sit up in bed and take nourishing food, and the fever had abated, my landlady gave me a piece of information which set me thinking. It appeared that on the afternoon of my visit to Forest Lodge a gentleman had called to see me, and on being informed that it was probable I might not be home before late, after some hesitation he had agreed to call again in an hour for the chance of my having returned. On the second occasion he had re

quested to be allowed to stay for a little time to write a letter, and pen and ink having been given to him he had remained some five or ten minutes and then departed, leaving no card, or note, or message of any kind. The suddenness of my attack, its violence, and the bustle thereby occasioned had driven the circumstance above alluded to from the mind of the young servant girl, who was quite fresh to her work, and reported to be incorrigibly stupid, but she had during my second illness remembered all about it and acquainted her mistress.

Hardly any reliable description could be gained of my unknown visitant-the little that was elicited caused me after much consideration to incline to the belief that it was no other than Signor Antonio who had done me the undesired honour of the call, and putting two and two together it appeared not unlikely that the mystery of the poison might be explicable after all. But such suspicions I carefully kept to myself,

At this time my letters were brought to me, it having been considered requisite previously to insist upon my delaying all correspondence or anything requiring the slightest exertion. Amongst these letters was a small pink note from Melanie, written in French, bearing date the day after the concert and informing me that she had been sufficiently unfortunate to meet her guardian while actually on the road to London, that he had quarrelled furiously with Mr. Dalrymple, behaving himself very violently, that Mr. Dalrymple had acted very well, offering

She made & 1721 and pressing Degies, somevine nederady # I appeared to The than I do a mes are Dondia and may frame the Bm C Elei en Bodradet, my my time she would we further at me there Iva fate that I ind ng seen the mote bin I mis sentir eng even them to nade me feel ny enene valitess and powerlessDes I a Tey painful degree.

I'm. Jerian had given me the parlars of my Is It appeared that a podiveman discovered me about twelve o'clock on the night of the Concert, lying stunned and bleeding in one of those dark archways kaling to bostess premises which are so ommon in the city, and which are so slent and deserted at night My pockets were all turned inalde out. I had been thoroughly searched, but nothing had been stolen. My watch and chain, and puree with money in it were untouched. My pocketbook lay with its contents strewn about close to me, but nothing had been abstracted from it. Several private letters in my pocket-book had given the clue to my address, and enabled the authorities to send me quickly to my lodgings. The good doctor was much concerned and puzzled at the singular circumstances of the assualt, and would not at first believe that some bank-notes or other property had not been taken from me, but at last inclined to