notion that a sworn witness meant one who swore continually; but he was soon convinced otherwise, and his whole demeanour gradually became as polite and deferent as his coarse nature would allow. And Ben told his adventure on Pike Island, as we have heard him tell it, pretty much in the same words; for the judge and Mr. Grantly let him take his own course; and then he added, (with a characteristic expletive, which we may as well omit, seeing it occasioned a cry of "order" in the court,) "There, if that there white-livered little villain warn't the chap that brought the crocks, my name an't Ben Burke."

"Good God, Mr. Jennings, what's the matter ?" said a briefless one, starting up: this was Mr. Sharp, a personage on former occasions distinguished highly as a thieves' advocate, but now, unfortunately, out of work. "Loosen his cravat, some one there; the gentleman is in fits."

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Oh, aunt, aunt Quarles, don't throttle me; I'll tell all, all; let go, let go!" and the wretched man slowly recovered, as Ben Burke said,

"Ay, my lord, ask him yourself, the little wretch can tell you all about it."

"I submit, my lurd," interposed the briefless one, "that this respectable gentleman is taken ill, and that his presence may now be dispensed with as prosecutor in the cause."

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No, sir, no," deliberately answered Jennings; "I must stay: the time I find is come: I have not slept for weeks; I am exhausted utterly; I have lost my gold; I am haunted by her ghost: I can go nowhere but that face follows me, I can do nothing but her fingers clutch my throat. It is time to end this misery. In hope to lay her spirit, I would have offered up a victim: but-but she will not have him. Mine was the band that-"

"Pardon me," upstarted Mr. Sharp, "this poor gentleman is a monomaniac; pray, my lurd, let him be removed while the trial is proceeding."

"You horsehair hypocrite, you!" roared Ben, "would you hang the innocent, and save the guilty ?"

Would he? would Mr. Philip Sharp? Ay, that he would; and glad of such a famous opportunity. What! would not Newgate rejoice, and Horsemonger be glad? Would not his bag be filled with briefs from the community of burglars, and his purse be rich in gold sub

scribed by the brotherhood of thieves? Great at once would be his name among the purlieus of iniquity and every rogue in London would retain but Philip Sharp. Would he? ask him again.

:

But Jennings quietly proceeded like a speaking statue.

"I am not mad, most noble-" [the bibleread villain was from habit quoting Paul]“my lord, I mean. My hand did the deed: I throttled her :" (here he gave a scared look over his shoulder :) "yes,-I did it once and again I took the crock of gold. You may hang me now, Aunt Quarles."

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:

My lurd, my lurd, this is a most irregular proceeding," urged Mr. Sharp; "on the part of the prisoner, I, I crave pardon,

on

the behalf of this most respectable and deluded gentleman, Mr. Simon Jennings, I contend that no one may criminate himself in this way, without the shadow of evidence to support such suicidal testimony. Really, my lurd-"

may go

free ?" earn

"Oh, sir, but father my estly asked Grace: but Ben Burke's voice,-I had almost written woice,-overwhelmed them

all;

"Let me speak, Judge, an't please your honour, and take you notice, Master Horsehair. You want evidence, do you, beyond the man's confession: here, I'll give it you. Look at this here wice :" and he stretched forth his well-known huge and horny hand :

"When I caught that dridful little reptil by the arm, he wriggled like a sniggled eel, so I was forced, you see, to grasp him something tighter, and could feel his little arm-bones crack like any chicken's: now then, if his left elbow a'n't black and blue, though it's a month agone, I'll eat it. Strip him and see."

No need to struggle with the man, or tear his coat off. Jennings appeared only too glad to find that there was other evidence than his own foul tongue, and that he might be hung at last without sacking-rope or gimlet; so, he quietly bared his arm, and the elbow looked all manner of colours,-a mass of old bruises.

CHAPTER XLVII.

MR. SHARP'S ADVOCACY.

THE whole Court trembled with excitement: it was deep still silence; and the judge said,

"Prisoner at the bar, there is now no evidence against you: gentlemen of the jury, of course you will acquit him."

The foreman: "All agreed, my lord, not guilty."

"Roger Acton," said the judge, "to God alone you owe this marvellous, almost miraculous, interposition: you have had many wrongs innocently to endure, and I trust that the right feelings of society will requite you for them in this world, as, if you serve Him, God will in the next. You are honourably acquitted, and may leave this bar."

In vain the crier shouted, in vain the javelinmen helped the crier, the court was in a tumult of joy; Grace sprang to her father's neck, and