"The law's delay, the insolence of office," the perjury of the police, the spite of the prosecution, and the prejudice of the public, are matters of daily familiarity to the world in all " les causes célèbres," the details of mine would, therefore, scarcely present sufficient novelty to warrant my recital of them. Indeed, excepting from its continued postponement, which almost sickened and discouraged me, I know of no new feature that offers the opportunity for remarks. Mon avocat fully comprehending and holding as he did in his hands proof of my innocence, displayed that unshaken firmness and confidence in the truth of my cause, which tends more than all the arguments which logic or forensic eloquence can pour out or produce to ensure success, and impress itself with directing agency on the minds of a wavering jury. I must not forget, however, to mention that a hidden and powerful influence was palpably being exercised in my behalf behind the scenes, and that, although my lawyer had evidently the ear of the court, and caught the judge's eye, it was equally discernible that that most important personage somehow was favourable, and leant towards the prisoner. This was especially observable upon the request for my immediate commitment for trial to the Superior Court, which he positively refused for the present to do; also in his persistent and prolonged inquiry into every fresh piece of evidence, minutely sifting it to the bottom; he firmly resisted the notion of giving up the task he had undertaken, and in which he took a pride of discovering the real forger, as well as the utterers of the notes. To the consternation and apparent annoy ance of the prosecution, remand followed remand, until at length all parties were truly worn out and wearied of their fruitless attempts to find the missing link in the required proof of my guilt. The great exertions that were thus used to smooth the path towards my liberation puzzled me beyond all comprehension. I could in no way account for it, neither could I in the least imigine to whom to attribute the guardianship of my interests, or who could possibly be the invisible upholder of my fallen fortunes. As soon as the judge pronounced it as his decided opinion that the case against me, as proved by my pecuniary reckonings with Wings, all of which accounts I had fortunately preserved, likewise my refusal to escape, or fly with my guilty companions to England when I had the opportunity offered me,

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and the non-discovery in my possession of any forged notes, was too weak to send me to a higher tribunal, my happiness and mental thanksgiving knew no bounds; the stimulus it gave my almost failing courage and shaken nerves, was well nigh causing me, through excess of joy, a serious illness. So overwhelming was the re-action, that I positively felt oppressed with gratitude and delight. Nevertheless, the counsel for the prosecution purposely entailed on me a prolonged imprisonment; every shifty excuse they could devise was invented, and worked up, with the sole intention of procuring another remand, so that my release from durance vile seemed about to be postponed sine die. The authorities of the Conciergerie during this time treated me with much more consideration, if not respect, than I had at my first entrance into this foreign den of justice experienced; my diet was greatly im proved and increased, and although any approach to luxuries was out of the question, I was indulged with the previously unheard-of lincence of a pint of wine daily. For this infraction of the prison rules, my thanks were due in some measure to the surgeon, who was likewise, I had every reason to imagine, considerably affected by the influences of an outside, undiscoverable voice used in my favour. Another kindness also permitted me was, that of being allowed, as a companion, the presence of a fellow-prisoner, who turned out to be also an Englishman. This to me was a great consolation and comfort in my misery, as my dulness when alone was quite unbearable, and painful in the extreme. True, he was a thief, an incorrigible one, still he was a merry, light-hearted, most amusing rogue, and the droll account he gave of himself and his doings, and the manner in which he was first seduced from the paths of honesty, is undoubtedly worthy, as an example of life behind the counter, repetition here, displaying as it does the too common practices of apprentices, and the suffering of many a good master. Upon my first introduction to him, he boldly advanced across the cell to where I was sitting, and said, "Holloa! old fellow, here's a pretty mess for us to get into, Monsieur Johnny Crapaud!"

I immediately inquired the cause of his detention. His gaiety of manner and high flow of good spirits were evidently quite natural and unassumed, and had not in the least deserted him in his trouble, for he answered me with a hearty laugh, at my serious air, that it was "simply for a little over shopping; you see I could not help it," he jokingly added, "the old mug of a jeweller turned his back, and left the tray of tickers all abroad, and bare-faced and downright, and asking me to lift them, and give them a little change of air and scenery. It was too much for poor human nature to withstand, so I made a couple of them, and bolted. It was a fine sight I can tell you, to see the old thimble merchant start after me in his dressing gown and slippers, with his velvet skull cap all on one side, looking like a swell in a fit, and screaming blue murder at the top of his shrill voice."

"Did you get off with them safely?" I inquired, rather excited at the idea of the stirring chase.

"Why, what a silly guffin you must be!" he returned, good humouredly, "to ask such a question. How should I be here for the job, if I had? But still I should have done it if a confounded soldier had not thrown down his musket, and taken up the running. These Frenchmen gan just step it, I assure you, especially the soldiers; I think they are

taught to pull foot, for they certainly run better than they fight, as when I was collared, I floored half-a-dozen of them like straws. However, I threw away what I had pinched so awkwardly, and they found nothing on me, so I have got the chance left yet of outswearing them, though that's not much to build one's hopes on in this land of lying."

"It's a sad thing," I replied reflectively; "but you must be really fond of thieving to hazard your liberty for objects of such trifling value." "Oh! I am," he gaily answered. "I believe it's the nature of the beast, though I wasn't brought up to it, and never took to it until later in life than usual with prigs in general. I will tell you," he continued thoughtfully, "how it was that I first got into bad ways. It was begun in joke and ended in earnest, as you now perceive, and it will probably never be altered- Too late to mend,' is a trite saying, and a true one."

Of course I said I should be much gratified by such a curious and interesting piece of information, adding that, "no doubt he often looked back with sorrow and regret at having taken the first step out of the right direction."

"Not a bit of it," he quickly answered, "I feel completely hardened, and as if I could not be sorry for anything, or repent of my vices. There is an unaccountable numbness taken place in my susceptibilities, which makes virtue insupportable and vice a pleasure. However I will give you a sketch of this commencement de la fin.'

He immediately sat down by my side, and drawing up his legs beneath him, somewhat after the fashion of a tailor, or Oriental taleteller, began without further ceremony

THE HISTORY OF A BAD BOY.

"My father was an actor, but not high enough up in the art to get a very permanent or paying engagement, so that he was what is professionally termed a strolling player,' which latter signification he played to perfection, as he literally strolled and played all over the country in the course of the twelvemonth. In pursuing his livelihood in his adopted profession, he, as I have just told you, visited most of the great and small cities, towns, villages, hamlets, barns, fairs, or any other possible locality or habitation where the sock and buskin with its walking shadow struts and frets its hour upon that stage of life which, after all, signifies nothing. At every one of these places my father played the fool, the rogue, the thief, the drunkard, gambler, the dickins, and the devil, keeping up his character in the latter rôle with such admirable truth and spirit that one would really have imagined he must have studied the part from the old gentleman himself. My mother I can't remember. No doubt she did justice to her partner, as she took the queen, or waiting-maid, dancing girl, or gipsy fortune teller, as occasion required. She died when I was an infant, so that it is no wonder the time for my being old enough to be got rid of, should have been anxiously looked forward to by my very unsettled, restless father. This eventful epoch in my life occurred when I was about sixteen years of age, which you will most likely think was rather late to make my first appearance in the world, under such circumrtances, on my own account. But the fact is it was not quite my first appearance, for I had made my début on the stage, for which I found I had no real

any

fancy, and in that profession I must tell you everything truly depends upon fancy; besides I was disgusted with vagabondizing, and longed for quieter goings on. Thus determined, one fine morning I was missing from the troop, some of whom no doubt, especially the ladies, lost me with regret, as I was useful upon many little occasions to several of them. I felt exceedingly puzzled at first as I walked along alone to know which way to turn, what to set about, or what on earth to do, for I positively knew nothing of any other kind of life than the one I had been all my life leading, which made it very difficult for me to arrange direct plan of future action. What I had seen and heard, and the morals I had partaken of, far from impressing me with the notion that the world outside of our circle was a bad one, had made me consider myself an object worthy of congratulation in taking the step I had done, for nothing I imagined in my inexperience could be worse than the society I was so resolutely abandoning. I soon found I was mistaken, as you shall shortly learn. It crossed my mind as I trudged on the road, pondering and wondering as to my fate, to try service, and obtain a situation as errand-boy to a tradesman. It was a capital idea. I was just the age, was good-looking, strong, and had a cleanly, healthy appearance it will be exactly the thing to begin upon. In the first large town I came to I strolled about and looked at the shops, taking stock of the various businesses, and otherwise preparing myself for the venture. Arriving opposite to a large fishmonger's, I stopped and gazed and gaped at some piscivorous monster exhibited as an attraction to purchasers of smaller fry. Suddenly a voice hailed me, 'Here, young fellow,' said the master, 'you idling there, just run with this salmon to Alderman Turtle's, and make haste back, and I'll find you another job.'Hurrah!' cried I to myself, and away I scampered with the fish, and on the tail of which was pinned the address of the anxiously-waiting gourmand. To cut a long story as short as I can, I was the very same day taken into the fishmonger's service. I knew nothing, I had all to learn-my first principles to be formed. Now unfortunately this worthy man was on the verge of bankruptcy, which, of course, I knew nothing about, and very few others besides-it being as well to keep such a state of things as dark as possible, until the final crash arrives and opens the ears and eyes of the world. Naturally I shortly made the acquaintance of other young men in the same position as myself; their laxity of morals, conversation, conduct, and habits, at once forcibly struck me as marvellously free, profane, and independent for such as had to get an honest respectable living by serving others and attending to their own and masters' interests. In my weakness I flattered myself that I could remain ancontaminated, and resist the effects of evil communications, and I determined to do my duty in my new calling, which I had so fortunately obtained.

"Oh, vanity! oh, weakness! good resolutions without good principles, are like self dependence without firmness and experience; they are scattered at the first temptation like chaff before the wind! No wonder that they form a footpath in the infernal regions! One good action is worth a thousand good resoluticns: they only lead, or rather seduce us blindfold with plausible virtues to make us the willing selfsatisfied victims of their soothing false promises. After some time the difficulties of my master, whom I stuck to like a leech, became the

daily theme of our gossipings-my comrades made it a subject for joking-and I myself, now elevated to be an apprentice, came in for a full share of their ridicule.

"How much in the pound, young 'un?'

"What's to pay?'

"Have you got any change?'

"Is that a good note?'

"Abraham Newland for ever!' and such like street exclamations were the common chaff and salutations amongst us. Easily inoculated by their high spirits, the fun displayed by my companions, and their irresistible joviality, I joined heart and soul in the frivolity of passing events, and forgot my good resolutions with as good a will and as easy a conscience as if I had never made them; delivering myself up to their intemperance and dissipation with a good will that greatly surprised me, and which was contrary to all my anticipations. In fact, I was not long before I was established as a leader in their ribaldry and practical joking. So much for good resolutions!

"In the meantime my master's affairs were becoming more and more critical, and I daily perceived that it was as much as he could do to keep the thing going; it was clearly getting all up with the concern, and fish were scarce on the slab, which itself being a rare specimen was threatened with an invasion from without. The long anticipated advent of the bum-bailies at length arrived, and the bubble burst. A few hours previous to this terrible catastrophe a private consultation was held between my young master and a few of his old particulars, in order to rescue certain 'fancy articles,' and other legal spoils. To this I was admitted as a worthy and confidential representative of the house of which I had fairly become an illustrious member. The result of the deliberations of the secret committee, which sat with closed doors, was the immediate removal of the contents of the wine cellar, it being unanimously agreed upon as a sine quâ non that there should be 'something to drink,' got out of the failure.

"As the young master did not reside on the premises, it was arranged this Bacchanalian salvage should be carried to his house. Impossible to conduct so great a coup d'état' single handed, I, who was selected to carry it out, enlisted the services of a comrade, who bappened to be foreman to a butcher, whose well known handling of superfluous mutton, beef, and veal was quite a sufficient recommendation in my eyes to employ him in so great a cause. Setting at once to work we bravely stormed the cellar. The success of the raid on the bins of beeswing inspired us with the intensest excitement, and the joys of triumph filled the hearts of all engaged. Picture to yourself the expectant, anxious son of the bankrupt, feverishly waiting our arrival chez-lui, enchanted beyond the powers of description at the presence of fourteen dozen of the choicest sherries, besides seven dozen of matchless port, long held sacred in the hands and heart of the unlucky old man, to whom one drop of it was even as dear as his own life's blood. Only fancy the delight of arranging it in battle array in and on and under the capacious wide-spreading side-board, and then the quiet reflective admiration of the scene presented to us. A few minutes' inspection sufficed; their fates as well as their corks were quickly sealed.

"Come, lads,' exclaimed the young master, 'we are bound to try