t."

"You will both have to be present tomorrow morning before the
worshipful magistrate Master Forman, at Westminster."

The watch now secured the man on the ground, who was recovering
from the effect of the violent thrust in the stomach, and putting
handcuffs on him and the other, led them away.

"You will permit me, I trust, to escort you to your door," Rupert
said, as he ceremoniously handed the young lady into her chair.

"Yes, indeed, sir; and I trust that you will enter, and allow Dame
Hawkins to add her thanks to mine."

Rupert bowed, and the chair being closed the chairmen lifted it,
and with Rupert and Hugh following, proceeded eastward.

When they arrived at the house of Alderman Hawkins, in Lawrence
Pulteney, the young lady on alighting begged Rupert to enter; but
the latter excused himself on account of the hour, but said that he
would call next morning, and would, if allowed, accompany her and
the alderman to give evidence as to the assault.

On arriving next morning, Rupert was overwhelmed with thanks by the
alderman, his wife, and Mistress Maria Von Duyk, all of whom were
much surprised at his youth, for in the dim light of the preceding
evening the young lady had not perceived that her rescuer was a
mere lad.

Rupert found that there was no occasion to go before the
magistrate, for the alderman having sent down early to the watch
house to inquire at what hour their presence would be required,
found that the prisoners had been rescued, on their way to the
watch house, by a party of armed men.

"We are," the alderman said, "well aware who was the leader of the
assailants, the man who escaped. Sir Richard Fulke is a ruined
gamester, and is a distant relation of Dame Vanloct, whom my young
friend was yesterday visiting. Knowing the wealth of Mistress Von
Duyk's good father, he has sought to mend his ruined fortune by a
match with her. At the urgent request of Mistress Von Duyk I wrote
to him, saying that his attentions were unpleasing to her, and that
they must be discontinued, or that she could no longer visit at
Dame Vanloct's where she usually had met him. This was a week
since. He replied courteously, regretting that the deep devotion he
felt was unrequited, but withdrawing from the undertaking of trying
to win her, and promising that henceforth she should be no longer
troubled with his presence when she visited Dame Vanloct. This was
of course done to lull our suspicion. When the chair was