nything about it?' said Herries, with a sneer.
'There is no such warrant in existence now; its ashes, like the poor
traitor whose doom it threatened, have been dispersed to the four winds
of heaven. There is now no warrant in the world.'

'But you will not deny,' said the Justice, 'that you were the person
named in it; and that--eh--your own act destroyed it?'

'I will neither deny my name nor my actions, Justice,' replied Mr.
Herries, 'when called upon by competent authority to avow or defend
them. But I will resist all impertinent attempts either to intrude into
my private motives, or to control my person. I am quite well prepared to
do so; and I trust that you, my good neighbour and brother sportsman,
in your expostulation, and my friend Mr. Nicholas Faggot here, in his
humble advice and petition that I should surrender myself, will consider
yourselves as having amply discharged your duty to King George and
government.'

The cold and ironical tone in which he made this declaration; the look
and attitude, so nobly expressive of absolute confidence in his own
superior strength and energy, seemed to complete the indecision which
had already shown itself on the side of those whom he addressed.

The Justice looked to the clerk--the clerk to the Justice; the former
HA'D, EH'D, without bringing forth an articulate syllable; the latter
only said, 'As the warrant is destroyed, Mr. Justice, I presume you do
not mean to proceed with the arrest?'

'Hum--aye--why, no--Nicholas--it would not be quite advisable--and as
the Forty-five was an old affair--and--hem--as my friend here will,
I hope, see his error--that is, if he has not seen it already--and
renounce the Pope, the Devil, and the Pretender--I mean no harm,
neighbour--I think we--as we have no POSSE, or constables, or the
like--should order our horses--and, in one word, look the matter over.'

'Judiciously resolved,' said the person whom this decision affected;
'but before you go, I trust you will drink and be friends?'

'Why,' said the Justice, rubbing his brow, 'our business has
been--hem--rather a thirsty one.'

'Cristal Nixon,' said Mr. Herries, 'let us have a cool tankard
instantly, large enough to quench the thirst of the whole commission.'

While Cristal was absent on this genial errand, there was a pause, of
which I endeavoured to avail myself by bringing back the discourse to
my own concerns. 'Sir,' I said to Justice Foxley, 'I have no direct
business wit