McCloskey here gave a smothered groan, and his usually red face grew deadly pale in contemplation of his danger.

“Now,” said Mr. Stevens, after waiting long enough for his revelation to have its due effect upon him, “there is but one thing to be done.  We must buy Whitticar off.  Have you got any money?  I don’t mean fifty or a hundred dollars—­that would be of no more use than as many pennies.  We must have something of a lump—­three or four hundred at the very least.”

The prisoner drew his breath very hard at this, and remained silent.

“Come, speak out,” continued Mr. Stevens, “circumstances won’t admit of our delaying—­this man’s friends will raise Heaven and earth to secure your conviction; so you see, my good fellow, it’s your money or your life.  You can decide between the two—­you know which is of the most importance to you.”

“God save us, squire! how am I to raise that much money?  I haven’t more nor a hunther dollars in the world.”

“You’ve got a house, and a good horse and dray,” replied Mr. Stevens, who was well posted in the man’s pecuniary resources.  “If you expect me to get you out of this scrape, you must sell or mortgage your house, and dispose of your horse and dray.  Somehow or other four hundred dollars must be raised, or you will be dangling at a rope’s end in less than six months.”

“I suppose it will have to go then,” said McCloskey, reluctantly.

“Then give me authority,” continued Mr. Stevens, “to arrange for the disposal of the property, and I will have your affairs all set straight in less than no time.”

The constable here cut short any further colloquy by rapping impatiently on the door, then opening it, and exclaiming, “Come, now it is ten o’clock—­time that you were in court;” and the two started out, followed by Mr. Stevens.

After having, by some of those mysterious plans with which lawyers are familiar, been enabled to put off the examination for a few days, Mr. Stephens returned to his office, and found lying upon his table the packet of letters he was expecting from New York.

Upon breaking the seal, and tearing off the outer covering, he discovered a number of letters, time-worn and yellow with age; they were tied tightly together with a piece of cord; cutting this, they fell scattered over the desk.

Taking one of them up, he examined it attentively, turning it from side to side to endeavour to decipher the half-effaced post-mark.  “What a ninny I am, to waste time in looking at the cover of this, when the contents will, no doubt, explain the whole matter?” Thus soliloquising he opened the letter, and was soon deeply absorbed in its contents.  He perused and re-perused it; then opened, one after another, the remainder that lay scattered before him.  Their contents seemed to agitate him exceedingly; as he walked up and down the room with hasty strides, muttering angrily to himself, and occasionally returning to the desk to re-peruse the letters which had so strangely excited him.