negative kind in her favour. She had no money! Recollecting this
when she had nearly reached the door, she turned aside, and ran swiftly
to the old door-step, where she sat down and hid her face in her hands.

A heavy footstep sounded at her side the next moment. She looked
quickly up. It was a policeman. He did not apply the expected
words--"move on." He was a man under whose blue uniform beat a tender
and sympathetic heart. In fact, he was Number 666--changed from some
cause that we cannot explain, and do not understand--from the
Metropolitan to the City Police Force. His number also had been
changed, but we refuse to be trammelled by police regulations. Number
666 he was and shall remain in this tale to the end of the chapter!

Instead of ordering the poor woman to go away, Giles was searching his
pockets for a penny, when to his intense surprise he received a blow on
the chest, and then a slap on the face!

Poor Mrs Frog, misjudging his intentions, and roused to a fit of
temporary insanity by her wrongs and sorrows, sprang at her supposed foe
like a wildcat. She was naturally a strong woman, and violent passion
lent her unusual strength.

Oh! it was pitiful to witness the struggle that ensued!--to see a woman,
forgetful of sex and everything else, striving with all her might to
bite, scratch, and kick, while her hair tumbled down, and her bonnet and
shawl falling off made more apparent the insufficiency of the rags with
which she was covered.

Strong as he was, Giles received several ugly scratches and bites before
he could effectually restrain her. Fortunately, there were no
passers-by in the quiet street, and, therefore, no crowd assembled.

"My poor woman," said Giles, when he had her fast, "do keep quiet. I'm
going to do you no harm. God help you, I was goin' to give you a copper
when you flew at me so. Come, you'd better go with me to the station,
for you're not fit to take care of yourself."

Whether it was the tender tone of Giles's voice, or the words that he
uttered, or the strength of his grasp that subdued Mrs Frog, we cannot
tell, but she gave in suddenly, hung down her head, and allowed her
captor to do as he pleased. Seeing this, he carefully replaced her
bonnet on her head, drew the old shawl quite tenderly over her
shoulders, and led her gently away.

Before they had got the length of the main thoroughfare, however, a
female of a quiet, respectable appearance met them.

"Mrs