nd."

Rufus rang the bell, and despatched the messenger to Regina. "That's the
one way out of it, my son," he whispered to Amelius, as they followed
Mrs. Payson and Sally down the stairs of the hotel.

They had just driven up to the gates of the Home, when Jervy and his
accomplice met at the tavern, and entered on their consultation in a
private room.

In spite of her poverty-stricken appearance, Mrs. Sowler was not
absolutely destitute. In various underhand and wicked ways, she
contrived to put a few shillings in her pocket from week to week. If she
was half starved, it was for the very ordinary reason, among persons
of her vicious class, that she preferred spending her money on drink.
Stating his business with her, as reservedly and as cunningly as usual,
Jervy found, to his astonishment, that even this squalid old creature
presumed to bargain with him. The two wretches were on the point of a
quarrel which might have delayed the execution of the plot against Mrs.
Farnaby, but for the vile self-control which made Jervy one of the most
formidable criminals living. He gave way on the question of money--and,
from that moment, he had Mrs. Sowler absolutely at his disposal.

"Meet me to-morrow morning, to receive your instructions," he said. "The
time is ten sharp; and the place is the powder-magazine in Hyde Park.
And mind this! You must be decently dressed--you know where to hire
the things. If I smell you of spirits to-morrow morning, I shall employ
somebody else. No; not a farthing now. You will have your money--first
instalment only, mind!--to-morrow at ten."

Left by himself, Jervy sent for pen, ink, and paper. Using his left
hand, which was just as serviceable to him as his right, he traced these
lines:--

"You are informed, by an unknown friend, that a certain lost young lady
is now living in a foreign country, and may be restored to her afflicted
mother on receipt of a sufficient sum to pay expenses, and to reward the
writer of this letter, who is undeservedly, in distressed circumstances.

"Are you, madam, the mother? I ask the question in the strictest
confidence, knowing nothing certainly but that your husband was the
person who put the young lady out to nurse in her infancy.

"I don't address your husband, because his inhuman desertion of the
poor baby does not incline me to trust him. I run the risk of trusting
you--to a certain extent--at starting. Shall I drop a hint which
may help you to identify