than she, suspicion of my having
taken the package would be lessened. I soon found myself at the prison
gate. The lady had not yet arrived. The prisoners were standing around
the door on the inside. I waited some ten minutes, when I heard B. say
he did not see what could detain his wife so long. I stepped to the door
and remarked that I had been waiting some time, and was expecting her
every minute. Immediately she made her appearance and remarked,

"You have got here before me. I looked for you before I left."

I had observed her looking into the room I occupied, when she was about
leaving the house; I, however, was in an opposite one, occupied by
another boarder. After conversing a short time with her husband, she
remarked, that she must return to the house, as she had left the package
where it might be found. She called upon me to accompany her. I did so,
and we soon arrived at the house. I remained below while she hastened up
stairs to her room.

In a few minutes she came running to the head of the stairs and called
me; I immediately answered her.

"Green," said she, "some person has been robbing my room."

I felt as though I was suspected, for "a guilty conscience needs no
accusing."

"What have you had taken?" asked I.

"Oh! I have"----then she paused, as if studying what to say. In the mean
time, the landlady had heard her say she had been robbed, and hastened
to the place where we were standing, but being unobserved from the
excitement, was occupying a position at Mrs. B.'s back.

"Oh! I have lost a package of letters, of no value to any person but
myself. They are family relics, but I will have them at the peril of my
life. I will swear that I have lost other things besides the papers, and
will get them back, or make this house pay well for harbouring thieves.
Mind, Green, what I have said. Keep mum, and I will have them back at
the risk of----"

She was interrupted by the landlady, who very kindly assisted her in
finishing her sentence by adding--"at the risk of perjuring yourself!"

Mrs. B. being startled, exclaimed, "Oh! no, madam, don't mistake me. I
only meant I would make a great stir about them--that I would offer a
reward to the servants, and at the same time let on as if something very
valuable was missing."

"Of course I would not intimate, and do not, I pray you, understand me
as thinking that any person has taken them with the design of retaining
them. I have no idea that the individua