enly he
clenched his teeth, and stooped slightly forwards for a moment, drawing
his breath. Thurnall walked quickly and steadily up to him.

Gentleman Jan and two other riotous fellows had already laid hold of
him, more with the intention of frightening, than of really ducking him.

"Don't! don't!" cried he, looking round with eyes wild--but not with
terror.

"Hands off, my good lads," said Tom quietly. "This is my business now,
not yours, I can tell you."

And passing the preacher's arm through his own, with a serious face, Tom
led him off into the house at the back of the chapel.

In two hours more he was blue; in four he was a corpse. The judgment, as
usual, had needed no miracle to enforce it.

Tom went to Campbell that night, and apprised him of the fact. "Those
words of yours went through him, sir, like a Minie bullet. I was afraid
of what would happen when I heard them."

"So was I, the moment after they were spoken. But, sir, I felt a power
upon me,--you may think it a fancy,--that there was no resisting."

"I dare impute no fancies, when I hear such truth and reason as you
spoke upon that stone, sir."

"Then you do not blame me?" asked Campbell, with a subdued, almost
deprecatory voice, such as Thurnall had never heard in him before.

"The man deserved to die, and he died, sir. It is well that there are
some means left on earth of punishing offenders whom the law cannot
touch."

"It is an awful responsibility."

"Not more awful than killing a man in battle, which we both have done,
sir, and yet have felt no sting of conscience."

"An awful responsibility still. Yet what else is life made up of, from
morn to night, but of deeds which may earn heaven or hell?... Well, as
he did to others, so was it done to him. God forgive him! At least, our
cause will be soon tried and judged: there is little fear of my not
meeting him again--soon enough." And Campbell, with a sad smile, lay
back in his chair and was silent.

"My dear sir," said Tom, "allow me to remind you, after this excitement
comes a collapse; and that is not to be trifled with just now. Medicine
I dare not give you. Food I must."

Campbell shook his head.

"You must go now, my dear fellow. It is now half-past ten, and I will be
at Pennington's at one o'clock, to see how he goes on; so you need not
go there. And, meanwhile, I must take a little medicine."

"Major, you are not going to doctor yourself?" cried Tom.

"There is a certain m