case, the Prisoner, as if acutely sensible of his situation, remained in the rear of the dock, and buried his face in his hands. They who stood near him observed, however, that his breast did not seem to swell with the convulsive emotion customary to persons in his state, and that not even a sigh, or agitated movement, escaped him. The Jury had been absent about twenty minutes, when a confused noise was heard in the Court. The face of the Judge turned in commanding severity towards the quarter whence it proceeded. He perceived a man of a coarse garb and mean appearance endeavouring, rudely and violently, to push his way through the crowd towards the Bench, and at the same instant he saw one of the officers of the Court approaching the disturber of its tranquillity, with no friendly intent. The man, aware of the purpose of the constable, exclaimed with great vehemence, "I vill give thees to my Lord the Judge, blow me if I von't!" and as he spoke, he raised high above his head a soiled scrap of paper folded awkwardly in the shape of a letter. The instant Brandon's eye caught the rugged features of the intrusive stranger, he motioned with rather less than his usual slowness of gesture to one
