"Now, Jarvey-what's the damage?" enquired Grab, before any of them got out.

"Six shillings, your honour."

"You must tip, sir," quoth Grab to Mr Aubrey-who thereupon counted out all the silver he had except one solitary sixpence, and they descended, followed up the steps of the house closely by Grab. Their hearts failed them, as they heard the sound of heavy jingling keys from within opening the door; and the next moment they stood within a short, narrow, and dark passage the sallow ill-looking man who had opened the door instantly closing, barring, and locking it upon them.

"This here's the public room," quoth Grab with the confident air of a man who feels in his own house; and, half opening a door on his left-they caught a glimpse of a number of mensome smoking; others sitting with their feet on the table, reading the newspapers; others playing at cards; and almost all of them drinking, and either laughing, talking, or singing.

"Now, sir-does this here suit your fancy?" enquired Grab rather sharply. Mr Aubrey felt his wife leaning heavily on his arm. "Mercy! I shall faint! I feel choked! "—she whispered. "Show us instantly up stairs, to your private room-cost what it may," said Mr Aubrey hastily.

"It's only fair to tell you, sir, you pay in advance—and for the whole day, though you should be out again in a quarter of an hour's time-it's the rule of the house."

"Show us up stairs, sir, without delay," said Mr Aubrey peremptorily.

66 Jemmy-show 'em up!" exclaimed Grab briskly-on which Jem went forward, followed by Mr Aubrey, almost entirely supporting Mrs Aubrey-who appeared very faint-Grab bringing up the rear-up the narrow and angular staircase. This led them into a tolerably well-furnished room; and Mrs Aubrey, on entering it, sank exhausted on the sofa. Here, again, the two windows were strongly secured with iron bars, which gave a peculiarly miserable appearance to the room. The unhappy couple gazed around them for a moment, in silence.

66

Beg your pardon, sir," said Grab, entering the room,

"but

must trouble you for two, twelve, six; always pay in advance, as I told you a-coming."

Aubrey involuntarily shuddering, took out his pocket-bookMrs Aubrey bursting into tears—and handed to Grab the only money he had his five-pound note, requesting change.

"The lady would, perhaps, like a glass of negus ?" enquired Grab.

"Certainly bring up immediately a glass of cold sherry and water," replied Aubrey.

"That will be just two, five, six to bring back-shall have it directly, sir-change and all. Here's your bed-room, sir,” he added-opening a small door opposite the window-and then withdrew by that through which they had entered. The moment that they were left alone, Aubrey folded his arms tenderly around his wife, and kissed her cold pale cheek; and then helped her to remove her bonnet, which, with its heavy black veil, evidently oppressed her. Her rich dark hair fell disordered over her tippet; and with her flushed cheek and restless eye, would have given the beholder a vivid picture of beauty and virtue in distress.

"Do promise me, Charles!" said she, looking fondly at him, "that I may go with you, wherever they will allow you to take me!"

"I trust, Agnes, that I shall be released before long. This is really a comfortable room, considering!" he added, evading her question.

"If only Kate and the children were here," she replied tremulously. "Poor things! I wonder what they are doing just now-Kate will break her heart, poor girl, if we don't return soon!"

"Never fear, Agnes. But let us look what kind of a bedroom they have given us. I hope we shall have no occasion, however, to occupy it. Come, let us see!"

'Twas very small and close, to be sure, and had but one narrow window, secured, like all the others, by strong iron bars. It overlooked a little flagged yard, about fourteen feet square, surrounded on all sides by high walls, portions of adjoining houses.

It was here that the prisoners "took the air," and their escape was effectually prevented by close and strong bars of iron passing from side to side, at about ten feet distance from the ground. They looked down, and beheld two or three men sitting and standing beneath, who looked more like animals caged in a menagerie, than human beings. 'Twas to Aubrey a sickening sight; and turning from the window, they both re-entered the front room, as Grab returned with the sherry and water, and the change, which he told down on the table. He then asked what they would like to have for dinner-cutlets, steaks, or chopsas he wished to know before Mrs Grab went out "to order the house dinner." They seemed, however, to loath the idea of eating, not a little to the annoyance of their truly hospitable host; Aubrey earnestly begging him to send off a message instantly, with his card, to Mr Runnington.

"A couple of shillings for the man, sir," said Grab; and, having received it, withdrew, leaving Mr and Mrs Aubrey to themselves for nearly an hour and a half; at the end of which period, their hearts leaped for joy to see Mr Runnington enter the room, with a countenance full of concern and sympathy.

"Well, but you shall not be much longer in this hateful hole, at any rate," said he, after some half-hour's anxious conversation with them; and ringing the bell, directed the man to send Grab up stairs, and to fetch pen, ink, and paper. In a few minutes Grab appeared. “You've no objection, I suppose, Grab, to discharge Mr Aubrey on my undertaking ? ”

"In course not, sir," replied Grab readily; but he was not a little disappointed at so abrupt a close to his exactions. Mr Runnington sat down and began to write. "You had better send off to the office, and see if there's any thing else there,” he added, (meaning that Grab should search, as he was bound to do, for any other writs against Mr Aubrey which might be lodged with the sheriff, before discharging his prisoner out of custody.)

"You don't apprehend any thing there, do you?" enquired Mr Runnington rather seriously, without taking his eye from the paper on which he was writing.

"Heaven only knows! But I think not,” replied Aubrey. The following was the undertaking given by Mr Runnington,

and which operated as an instant release of his oppressed and truly persecuted client :

"Aubrey ats. Quirk and others.

"We hereby undertake to procure the execution of a good and sufficient bail-bond herein, for the above-named defendant, in due time.

RUNNINGTON & Co. "Defendant's Attorneys.

"To MR GRAB,

"Officer to the Sheriff of Middlesex."

*

With this document lying before them, and awaiting the messenger's return from the sheriff's office, Mr Runnington and Mr Aubrey conversed together anxiously on the subject of Messrs Quirk, Gammon, and Snap's Bill. Mr Aubrey was sufficiently acquainted with the general course of practice to be aware, that beyond requiring him to put in bail to the action (special bail, as it was called,) no effectual step could be taken against him for several months to come; i. e. till Michaelmas term in the ensuing November, however eager and active the plaintiffs might be so that he had an interval of at least four months, in which, as the phrase is, "to turn himself about," and endeavour to discover some mode of extricating himself from his present serious dilemma. After reminding Mr Aubrey that neither a peer of the realm, nor a member of parliament, nor an attorney,† could become bail for him, Mr Runnington requested the names of two or three confidential friends to whom he might apply to become security for Mr Aubrey; and as he should be at any time able to exonerate them from liability, by surrendering his person to his creditors, he felt no hesitation in applying to them to perform for him this act of kindness. "By the way," said Mr Runnington, in the course of their conversation,

This is now very far otherwise. Legal proceedings have been recently prodigiously accelerated.

The reason why neither a Peer nor a Member of Parliament can be bail is, that they are not liable to the ordinary process of the courts.-(Tidd's Practice, p. 247, 9th ed.) The reason why attorneys and their clerks cannot be bail, is to protect them from the importunities of their clients.

and with apparent carelessness, "could I say a word or two to you on a little matter of business? And will Mrs Aubrey excuse us for a moment?" turning towards her. She bowed, and they withdrew for a moment into the adjoining bed-room.

"Put this into your pocket," said Mr Runnington, taking out the day's newspaper; "and when you have an opportunity, read

the account of what took place yesterday in the Court of King's Bench. It startled me not a little, I can tell you; and the reason of my not having been at the office when your messenger arrived was, that I had not returned from Vivian Street, whither, and to the Temple, I had gone in search of you. For Heaven's sake, don't alarm Mrs Aubrey, or Miss Aubrey; but, if any thing occurs to you, do not lose one moment in putting yourself into communication with us. If possible, I will call at Vivian Street this evening." With this they returned to the sitting-room, nothing in their appearance calculated to alarm Mrs Aubrey, or even attract her attention.

Shortly afterwards Grab entered the room.

“All right, sir!" said he to Mr Runnington; and added, turning to Mr Aubrey, “you're no longer in my custody, sir!"

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'Oh, Charles! thank God!—Let us not stay another moment!" exclaimed Mrs Aubrey, joyously starting up, and putting on her bonnet. Oh, let us get once more into the open street! -the sweet fresh air!-Kate will go wild with joy to see us again—Oh, dear Mr Runnington! how can we sufficiently thank you?” she added, turning towards him enthusiastically. Within a few minutes' time they had quitted that dismal scene; and were again apparently free. On first stepping into the bright cheering sunlight, and bustling noisy street, it had a wondrous sort of freshness and novelty-to them. Now they were free to go whithersoever they chose!-Oh, blessed LIBERTY!-let an Englishman lose thee for but an hour, to become aware of thy value!-It seemed to Mr and Mrs Aubrey, as if ten times the real interval had elapsed between their entering and quitting the scene of his incarceration. With what exhilarated spirits they hastened homeward! as if a millstone