Year: 1864

HIc AOFlH having, III not lie ltSeH. L nave
been ordered to get things ready, and 70
leave the pantry window open, and to give
thasc | now love- more than all the world
put together, to the mercies of ruffians"


'Then just tell them" said 7, trying n
little good humored banter, "Tell them,
with my compliments, that you'd rather
be excused, and that YOU beg them to keep
their messages to themselves for the fu-
ture. In sober earnest, remember that
you are under the protection Of society,
ana that any attempt to prevent your free
dom must be defeated


But bitter tears and passionate excla-
nations were all the response that nv en-
enlargement cou'd elicit and then came
the revelation that proved poor James
Fears to be we'll founded, and which may
seree 70 show how an unfortunate delin-
quent is apt to become hopelessly cntan
gied in the tolls Of evil doing


Their method of proceeding is apparent
ly this: Through the instrumentnlty of
individual members they discover and
tamper with likely subjects, at FIRST pro-
coeding without direct pcrsuasions to
dishonesty They open :heir trenches
against such points as frivolity and vanity
they entangle in some fault, and then, in
the conecquent distress and destitution,
come forward in the character of friends
A new place, we will say, is obtained by
false recommendations supplied by them
As to this there is no difficulty, for they
have correspondents all over the country,
ready to answer any inquiries, and so are
enabled to furnish the most unexcep-
tionable recommendations This prelim-
mary over, there remains no more diff
Guilty in their dealings with their victim,
nor any concealment as TO the real nature
of their doings The person is simply
told that she (or hc) must now act as di-
rected, under pain of announcements for
the offence already past The object then
is to z t them committed to some grave
offence against the law, which under the
circumstances is seldom difficult From
that point there remains for the law-brea-
ker nothing but q life of continual trans
gression under the most hateful constraint,
till the convict hulks or the gal 'ows c'ose
the scene.


"But why not cut the matter short ]
cried, why not let me 60 at once to the
station and give such information as
would lead to the apprehension of the
Ill ri DO e.
and all p


Jane turned pa'e, even through her for
mer palor "E on do not understand, sir.
how these things are managed, and low
foot. What credit would be yield ed to
the statement of Il girl who could be proved
to have been concerned in at least one
case of house breaking? Al | should
gain would be the prison for myself; nay,
so thoroughly are we beset that | have a
misgiving that somehow this, my confess
sion to you, is, or very soon will he, known
to t&ose who wi take no expiation but
my life"


1t was necessary, at al events, to call
in Mrs. Tompkins, and let her know the
result of our tete-a-tete We must also
telegraph to the husband, and amongst us
all contrive some plan of safety for Jane
She was evidently in the widest terror,
and felt that her life was no longer safe


The girl declared that for her there was
no safety in England; the men who held
her in their power would punish her de-
fection with announcement to the author
tiles, or even assassination. Some little
persuasion on our part ovcrcame her ab-
lection to our making any application TO
the police; out she declared to US that if
we wished to save her from destruction,
we must previously provide place of ref
uge for her


was sanguine enough to fancy that the
headquarters of the gang might be broken
up by prompt action. Off | went to the
police station Mr. Superintendent was
summoned to me, and listened blandly to
nv storv-listened without the slightest
emotion, just as your deeeor does 70 the
symptoms of smallpox or measles. lie
was not the least taken aback, saw no
difficulty in accepting the account, but
immense difficulty in dea ing with 1t lie
explained that the real maSterminds OF
such companies were not likely to be ae-
ccssibIe to their researches. They (the
police) might get hold of an inferior agent
or two, but even this they might miss, and
the attempt would give the alarm to the
chief offenders BY very cautious detec-
t; proceedings twas not impossible that
they might do something, but that would
be necessari ii cautious process.


He well understood the fix in which my
informant stood in fact, he volunteered
the assurance that | might expect TO find
her given up to justice on some well au-
thenticated charge. always supposing."
he added, always supposing that the
young woman does not get out of the way
in time. He did not actually advise me
to get her out of the way, but the hint was
Ineligible.


This, of course, was the first necessity