of his
denunciation of inextenuable crime was only equalled by the inadequacy
of the punishment dealt out; as he explained on each occasion, he never
did his duty.

[Illustration]

He designed a mixture of justice, equity, and mercy; only he left out
the first two ingredients. After the mental strain of that historical
verdict recounted above, his lordship took a holiday. He had an offer of
a seat in a balloon which was about to ascend, and accepted. The machine
ascended successfully from his lordship's grounds, sailed majestically
out to sea, and disappeared in the distance.

[Illustration]

With the utmost anxiety the whole community waited for further news of
the balloon; but none arrived. Either the eminent judge had been picked
up by a passing ship bound for some remote parts, or he had perished.

A year passed without news; and it was then decided to erect a cenotaph
to his lordship in Westminster Abbey.

* * * * *

One evening some time after this decision, Jemmy Wedge and Bill Slinker,
the eminent burglars, sat in their humble room near the Mint, arranging
the final details of a burglary dated for the following evening. Jemmy's
eye, glancing casually round the room, perceived a dim figure standing
in a dark corner. With a strong expression of disapproval, Jemmy jumped
to his feet and sprang towards the intruding eavesdropper; but stopped
suddenly with an ejaculation of surprise as he recognised the well-known
and revered features of Lord Justice Pimblekin!

[Illustration]

[Illustration]

A flood of contending emotions welled up in the mind of Jemmy
Wedge--rage at the overhearing of his plans by an intruder, and that
intruder an administrator of the law; fear of the consequences;
inveterate and deep-rooted affection for the judge who had so often
saved him from the well-merited penalties of crime; surprise, wonder.

His arm, raised to fell the eavesdropper, sank impotently to his side:
he gasped and stared.

"You need have no anxiety," said Lord Justice Pimblekin in a strange,
hollow, far-off voice, "your secret is safe with me. I will not blow the
gaff."

These words, spoken with the quiet judicial accent which Jemmy knew so
well, yet in the far-off tone mentioned above, made Jemmy's eyes rounder
than ever with wonderment.

No word of slang had ever before passed the lips of the judge: for slang
might indeed be unintelligible to a judge who knew not what a
race