he glared upon me, on
the night of his capture! Oh, if he were at large, my life would be in
continued danger; I should not sleep at night, for terror; I should
tremble lest his corpse-like face should appear at my bedside, and his
bony fingers grapple me by the throat! Yes, thank God--he is deprived of
the power to injure me; I am safe from his fiend-like malice.'

At this moment, Clinton heard foot-steps approaching, and presently some
one said--

'Let us enter this little temple, where we can talk without being
overheard.'

The blood rushed swiftly through Clinton's veins, and his heart beat
violently; for these words were spoken in the well-known voice of Fred
Archer! With great presence of mind he instantly crept beneath the
ottoman on which he had been lying; and the next moment two persons
entered the temple, and seated themselves directly above him.

'It was, as you say,' remarked Archer to his companion in a low tone--'a
most extraordinary piece of good luck for me that Sydney was taken for
that murder which I committed; suspicions are diverted from me, and he
will swing for it, that's certain. I'm safe in regard to that business.'

'And yet, I almost regret, Fred,' said the other, speaking in an almost
inaudible whisper--'that Sydney is in the grip of the Philistines; my
vengeance upon him would have been more terrible than a thousand deaths
by hanging. Well, since it is so, let him swing, and be d----d to him!'

A long conversation here followed, but the two men spoke in such a low
tone, that Clinton could only hear a word now and then. He was, however,
certain as to the identity of Fred Archer; and he determined not to lose
sight of that ruffian without endeavoring to have him taken into
custody.

At length the two men arose and quitted the temple, followed at a safe
distance by the boy.

At the bottom of the marble steps which led to the halls above, Fred
Archer and his companion paused for a few moments, and conversed in
whispers; then the two parted, the former ascending the steps, while
the latter turned and advanced slowly towards Clinton.

The boy instantly started in pursuit of Archer; but as he was about to
pass the person who had just quitted the company of that villain, his
progress was arrested by a strong arm, and a voice whispered in his
ear--'Ah, _Kinchen_, well met!--come with me!'

Clinton attempted to shake off the stranger's grasp--but he was no match
for his adversary, who dra