the area door open,
communicating with the kitchen. Down went the vagabond, entered the
kitchen, and walked up stairs, where, as he anticipated, he found the
gentleman quite alone and helpless.

"I am sorry, sir, to see you in this situation," said the rogue; "you
cannot move, and your servant is out."

The gentleman stared.

"It is excessively careless of you to leave yourself so exposed, for
behold the consequences. I take the liberty of removing this watch and
these seals off the table, and putting them into my own pocket; and, as
I perceive your keys are here, I shall now open these drawers, and see
what suits my purpose."

"Oh! pray help yourself, I beg," replied the gentleman, who was aware
that he could do nothing to prevent him.

The rogue did so accordingly; he found the plate in the sideboard
drawer, and many other articles which suited him, and in about ten
minutes, having made up his bundle, he made the gentleman a very low
bow, and decamped. But the gentleman had the use of his hands, and had
not been idle; he had taken an exact likeness of the thief with his
pencil, and on his servant returning soon after, he despatched him
immediately to Bow Street with the drawing, and an account of what had
happened. The likeness was so good, that the man was immediately
identified by the runners, and was captured before he had time to
dispose of a single article purloined. He was brought to the gentleman
in two hours afterwards, identified, the property found on him sworn to,
and, in six weeks, he was on his passage to Botany Bay.

CHAPTER TWENTY ONE.

London, November.
We have the signs of the times here. I peep through the fog and see
quite enough to satisfy me that the prosperity is but partial. Money in
plenty, but lying in heaps--not circulated. Every one hugs his bag, and
is waiting to see what the event may be. Retrenchment is written up as
evident as the prophetic words of fire upon the walls of Belshazzar's
palace--_To let--to let--to let_. Leave London in any direction, and
you find the same mystical characters every one hundred yards of the
road. This beautiful villa, this cottage ornee, this capital house with
pleasure-grounds, this mansion and park--all--all to let. It is said
that there are upwards of seven thousand of these country seats to let
within twelve miles of the metropolis. Again, look at the arms of the
carriages w