going to take a letter to the Borough for me," said Hawkesbury,
bestowing a meaning glance on me.

"I'm not going to take it," said I.

"What?" exclaimed Hawkesbury, in sudden fury.

"I'm not going to take it. I'm going to stay where I am."

"You know the consequences?" he muttered between his teeth.

"Yes."

"You know what it means for your friend Smith?"

"Yes."

He looked perplexed, as well he might. That I should defy him in the
face of his threat against Jack Smith was the last thing he had
expected, "Batchelor," said he, altering his tone suddenly to one of
entreaty, "I have very important business to arrange with Masham. Would
you mind leaving us for half an hour? I would not ask you, only I shall
get into awful trouble if I can't talk to him alone for a little."

It passed my comprehension how, after threatening me with Jack's ruin,
he should now turn round with such an appeal. And he put on such a
beseeching manner that in the midst of my wrath I half pitied him.
However, I was not to be moved. "If you want to see him so privately as
all that," said I, "take him up to the sample-room. No one will disturb
you there."

He gave me one look of hatred and menace, and then said to Masham, "We
must fix another time, Masham; we can't go into the matter now."

"Eh?" said Masham, who had hitherto stood by in silence. "What do you
say? If we can't do it now, we won't do it at all, my boy."

Hawkesbury went up to him and whispered something.

"Oh, we'll soon settle that!" said the other, laughing. "He won't go,
won't he! We'll help him, that's all? Whereabouts is the coal-hole?"

So saying he made a grab at my arm, and before I could resist Hawkesbury
had secured the other.

I struggled all I could, but unavailingly. Between them I was dragged
up stairs to the sample-room, into which I were ignominiously thrust,
and the door locked behind me. At first my rage and indignation were
too great to allow me to think of anything but kicking at the door and
shouting to my captors to release me. But this I soon discovered was
fruitless, and in due time I gave it up, and resolved to wait my time
and make the best of my lot.

That some mischief was afoot I now felt certain, and whatever it was, I
felt equally sure it was being enacted during my imprisonment. Yet what
could I do? I could only listen to the sound of voices below and
speculate as to what was going on. Suddenly, however, it flashed a