e gate to put a printed copy of that into every man's hand
as he leaves."

"Thank you, sir!" said Henry, warmly. "But ought not the police to
afford me protection, outside?"

"The police! You might as well go to the beadle. No; change your
lodging, if you think they know it. Don't let them track you home. Buy a
brace of pistols, and, if they catch you in a dark place, and try to do
you, give them a barrel or two before they can strike a blow. No one of
THEM will ever tell the police, not if you shot his own brother dead at
that game. The law is a dead letter here, sir. You've nothing to expect
from it, and nothing to fear."

"Good heavens! Am I in England?"

"In England? No. You are in Hillsborough."

This epigram put Cheetham in good humor with himself, and, when Henry
told him he did not feel quite safe, even in his own forge, nor in his
handling-room, and gave his reasons, "Oh," said cheerful Cheetham, "that
is nothing. Yours is a box-lock; the blackguard will have hid in the
works at night, and taken the lock off, left his writing, and then
screwed the lock on again: that is nothing to any Hillsborough hand.
But I'll soon stop that game. Go you to Chestnut Street, and get two
first-class Bramah locks. There's a pocket knife forge upstairs, close
to your handling-room. I'll send the pocket-knife hand down-stairs, and
you fasten the Bramah locks on both doors, and keep the keys yourself.
See to that now at once: then your mind will be easy. And I shall be in
the works all day now, and every day: come to me directly, if there is
any thing fresh."

Henry's forge was cold, by this time; so he struck work, and spent the
afternoon in securing his two rooms with the Bramah locks. He also took
Cheetham's advice in another particular. Instead of walking home, he
took a cab, and got the man to drive rapidly to a certain alley. There
he left the cab, ran down the alley, and turned a corner, and went home
round about. He doubled like a hare, and dodged like a criminal evading
justice.

But the next morning he felt a pleasing sense of security when he opened
his forge-room with the Bramah key, and found no letters nor threats of
any kind had been able to penetrate.

Moreover, all this time you will understand he was visiting "Woodbine
Cottage" twice a week, and carving Grace Carden's bust.

Those delightful hours did much to compensate him for his troubles in
the town, and were even of some service to him in training h