the confusion, the anguish, and the disappointment of that meeting.  Mrs Trevelyan was hardly in possession of her senses when she reached her mother, and could not be induced to be tranquil even when she was assured by her father that her son would suffer no immediate evil by being transferred to his father’s hands.  She in her frenzy declared that she would never see her little one again, and seemed to think that the father might not improbably destroy the child.  ’He is mad, papa, and does not know what he does.  Do you mean to say that a madman may do as he pleases? that he may rob my child from me in the streets? that he may take him out of my very arms in that way?’ And she was almost angry with her father because no attempt was made that night to recover the boy.

Sir Marmaduke, who was not himself a good lawyer, had been closeted with the policeman for a quarter of an hour, and had learned the policeman’s views.  Of course, the father of the child was the person who had done the deed.  Whether the cabman had been in the plot or not, was not matter of much consequence.  There could be no doubt that some one had told the man to go to Parker’s Hotel, as the cab was starting; and it would probably be impossible to punish him in the teeth of such instructions.  Sir Marmaduke, however, could doubtless have the cabman summoned.  And as for the absolute abduction of the child, the policeman was of opinion that a father could not be punished for obtaining possession of his son by such a stratagem, unless the custody of the child had been made over to the mother by some court of law.  The policeman, indeed, seemed to think that nothing could be done, and Sir Marmaduke was inclined to agree with him.  When this was explained to Mrs Trevelyan by her mother, she again became hysterical in her agony, and could hardly be restrained from going forth herself to look for her lost treasure.

It need hardly be further explained that Trevelyan had planned the stratagem in concert with Mr Bozzle.  Bozzle, though strongly cautioned by his wife to keep himself out of danger in the matter, was sorely tempted by his employer’s offer of a hundred pounds.  He positively refused to be a party to any attempt at violence at St. Diddulph’s; but when he learned, as he did learn, that Mrs Trevelyan, with her sister and baby, were to be transferred from St. Diddulph’s in a cab to Baker Street, and that the journey was luckily to be made during the shades of evening, his active mind went to work, and he arranged the plan.  There were many difficulties, and even some pecuniary difficulty.  He bargained that he should have his hundred pounds clear of all deduction for expenses, and then the attendant expenses were not insignificant.  It was necessary that there should be four men in the service, all good and true; and men require to be well paid for such goodness and truth.  There was the man, himself an ex-policeman, who gave the instructions to the first cabman, as he was starting.