when their
safety demands escape, Clarence may be forgiven for not knowing the
customs of housebreakers, and for not making the very best of an
extremely novel and dangerous situation.

No sooner did he find himself in total darkness than he bitterly
reproached himself for his late backwardness, and, inwardly resolving
not again to miss any opportunity which presented itself, he entered
the window, groped along the room into the hall, and found his way very
slowly and after much circumlocution to the staircase.

He had just gained the summit, when a loud cry broke upon the stillness:
it came from a distance, and was instantly hushed; but he caught at
brief intervals, the sound of angry and threatening voices. Clarence
bent down anxiously, in the hope that some solitary ray would escape
through the crevice of the door within which the robbers were engaged.
But though the sounds came from the same floor as that on which he now
trod, they seemed far and remote, and not a gleam of light broke the
darkness.

He continued, however, to feel his way in the direction from which the
sounds proceeded, and soon found himself in a narrow gallery; the voices
seemed more loud and near, as he advanced; at last he distinctly heard
the words--

"Will you not confess where it is placed?"

"Indeed, indeed," replied an eager and earnest voice, which Clarence
recognized as Talbot's, "this is all the money I have in the house,--the
plate is above,--my servant has the key,--take it,--take all,--but save
his life and mine."

"None of your gammon," said another and rougher voice than that of the
first speaker: "we know you have more blunt than this,--a paltry sum of
fifty pounds, indeed!"

"Hold!" cried the other ruffian, "here is a picture set with diamonds,
that will do, Ben. Let go the old man."

Clarence was now just at hand, and probably from a sudden change in the
position of the dark lantern within, a light abruptly broke from beneath
the door and streamed along the passage.

"No, no, no!" cried the old man, in a loud yet tremulous voice,--"no,
not that, anything else, but I will defend that with my life."

"Ben, my lad," said the ruffian, "twist the old fool's neck we have no
more time to lose."

At that very moment the door was flung violently open, and Clarence
Linden stood within three paces of the reprobates and their prey. The
taller villain had a miniature in his hand, and the old man clung to his
legs with a convuls