efy　the　law。　She　was　the　net　spread　to　catch　his　〃pigeons〃；　she　was　the　well…dressed　lady　who　ordered　goods　in　London　for　her　husband　at　Canterbury；　and　paid　half　the　price　down；　〃which　was　all　this　letter　authorized　her　to　do；〃　and　where　a　less　beautiful　or　clever　woman　might　have　failed；　she　succeeded。　Her　husband　saw　fortune　before　him；　and　believed　that；　with　common　prudence；　he　might　carry　on　his　most　lucrative　employment　of　〃gentleman〃　until　he　chose　to　relinquish　it。　　Alas　for　human　weakness！　He　one　day　did　a　foolish　thing；　and　the　law　he　had　so　successfully　defied　got　him　in　the　simplest　way　imaginable。
  Under　the　names　of　Mr。　and　Mrs。　Skinner；　John　Rex　and　Sarah　Purfoy　were　living　in　quiet　lodgings　in　the　neighbourhood　of　Bloomsbury。　　Their　landlady　was　a　respectable　poor　woman；　and　had　a　son　who　was　a　constable。　This　son　was　given　to　talking；　and；　coming　in　to　supper　one　night；　he　told　his　mother　that　on　the　following　evening　an　attack　was　to　be　made　on　a　gang　of　coiners　in　the　Old　Street　Road。　　The　mother；　dreaming　all　sorts　of　horrors　during　the　night；　came　the　next　day　to　Mrs。　Skinner；　in　the　parlour；　and；　under　a　pledge　of　profound　secrecy；　told　her　of　the　dreadful　expedition　in　which　her　son　was　engaged。　John　Rex　was　out　at　a　pigeon　match　with　Lord　Bellasis；　and　when　he　returned；　at　nine　o'clock；　Sarah　told　him　what　she　had　heard。
  Now；　4；　Bank…place；　Old　Street　Road；　was　the　residence　of　a　man　named　Green；　who　had　for　some　time　carried　on　the　lucrative　but　dangerous　trade　of　〃counterfeiting〃。　　This　man　was　one　of　the　most　daring　of　that　army　of　ruffians　whose　treasure　chest　and　master　of　the　mint　was　Blicks；　and　his　liberty　was　valuable。　　John　Rex；　eating　his　dinner　more　nervously　than　usual；　ruminated　on　the　intelligence；　and　thought　it　would　be　but　wise　to　warn　Green　of　his　danger。　Not　that　he　cared　much　for　Green　personally；　but　it　was　bad　policy　to　miss　doing　a　good　turn　to　a　comrade；　and；　moreover；　Green；　if　captured　might　wag　his　tongue　too　freely。　　But　how　to　do　it？　If　he　went　to　Blicks；　it　might　be　too　late；　he　would　go　himself。　He　went　outand　was　captured。　　When　Sarah　heard　of　the　calamity　she　set　to　work　to　help　him。　　She　collected　all　her　money　and　jewels；　paid　Mrs。　Skinner's　rent；　went　to　see　Rex；　and　arranged　his　defence。　Blicks　was　hopeful；　but　Greenwho　came　very　near　hangingadmitted　that　the　man　was　an　associate　of　his；　and　the　Recorder；　being　in　a　severe　mood；　transported　him　for　seven　years。　　Sarah　Purfoy　vowed　that　she　would　follow　him。　She　was　going　as　passenger；　as　emigrant；　anything；　when　she　saw　Mrs。　Vickers's　advertisement　for　a　〃lady's…maid；〃　and　answered　it。　It　chanced　that　Rex　was　shipped　in　the　Malabar；　and　Sarah；　discovering　this　before　the　vessel　had　been　a　week　at　sea；　conceived　the　bold　project　of　inciting　a　mutiny　for　the　rescue　of　her　lover。　We　know　the　result　of　that　scheme；　and　the　story　of　the　scoundrel's　subsequent　escape　from　Macquarie　Harbour。
  CHAPTER　IV。
  〃THE　NOTORIOUS　DAWES。〃
  The　mutineers　of　the　Osprey　had　been　long　since　given　up　as　dead；　and　the　story　of　their　desperate　escape　had　become　indistinct　to　the　general　public　mind。　　Now　that　they　had　been　recaptured　in　a　remarkable　manner；　popular　belief　invested　them　with　all　sorts　of　strange　surroundings。　　They　had　beenaccording　to　reportkings　over　savage　islanders；　chiefs　of　lawless　and　ferocious　pirates；　respectable　married　men　in　Java；　merchants　in　Singapore；　and　swindlers　in　Hong　Kong。　　Their　adventures　had　been　dramatized　at　a　London　theatre；　and　the　popular　novelist　of　that　day　was　engaged　in　a　work　descriptive　of　their　wondrous　fortunes。
  John　Rex；　the　ringleader；　was　related；　it　was　said；　to　a　noble　family；　and　a　special　message　had　come　out　to　Sir　John　Franklin　concerning　him。　He　had　every　prospect　of　being　satisfactorily　hung；　however；　for　even　the　most　outspoken　admirers　of　his　skill　and　courage　could　not　but　admit　that　he　had　committed　an　offence　which　was　death　by　the　law。　　The　Crown　would　leave　nothing　undone　to　convict　him；　and　the　already　crowded　prison　was　re…crammed　with　half　a　dozen　life　sentence　men；　brought　up　from　Port　Arthur　to　identify　the　prisoners。　Amongst　this　number　was　stated　to　be　〃the　notorious　Dawes〃。
  This　statement　gave　fresh　food　for　recollection　and　invention。　It　was　remembered　that　〃the　notorious　Dawes〃　was　the　absconder　who　had　been　brought　away　by　Captain　Frere；　and　who　owed　such　fettered　life　as　he　possessed　to　the　fact　that　he　had　assisted　Captain　Frere　to　make　the　wonderful　boat　in　which　the　marooned　party　escaped。　It　was　remembered；　also；　how　sullen　and　morose　he　had　been　on　his　trial　five　years　before；　and　how　he　had　laughed　when　the　commutation　of　his　death　sentence　was　announced　to　him。　　The　Hobart　Town　Gazette　published　a　short　biography　of　this　horrible　villaina　biography　setting　forth　how　he　had　been　engaged　in　a　mutiny　on　board　the　convict　ship；　how　he　had　twice　escaped　from　the　Macquarie　Harbour；　how　he　had　been　repeatedly　flogged　for　violence　and　insubordination；　and　how　he　was　now　double…ironed　at　Port　Arthur；　after　two　more　ineffectual　attempts　to　regain　his　freedom。　　Indeed；　the　Gazette；　discovering　that　the　wretch　had　been　originally　transported　for　highway　robbery；　argued　very　ably　it　would　be　far　better　to　hang　such　wild　beasts　in　the　first　instance　than　suffer　them　to　cumber　the　ground；　and　grow　confirmed　in　villainy。　〃Of　what　use　to　society；〃　asked　the　Gazette；　quite　pathetically；　〃has　this　scoundrel　been　during　the　last　eleven　years？〃　And　everybody　agreed　that　he　had　been　of　no　use　whatever。
  Miss　Sylvia　Vickers　also　received　an　additional　share　of　public　attention。　Her　romantic　rescue　by　the　heroic　Frere；　who　was　shortly　to　reap　the　reward　of　his　devotion　in　the　good　old　fashion；　made　her　almost　as　famous　as　the　villain　Dawes；　or　his　confederate　monster　John　Rex。　It　was　reported　that　she　was　to　give　evidence　on　the　trial；　together　with　her　affianced　husband；　they　being　the　only　two　living　witnesses　who　could　speak　to　the　facts　of　the　mutiny。　　It　was　reported　also　that　her　lover　was　naturally　most　anxious　that　she　should　not　give　evidence；　as　she　wasan　additional　point　of　romantic　interestaffected　deeply　by　the　illness　consequent　on　the　suffering　she　had　undergone；　and　in　a　state　of　pitiable　mental　confusion　as　to　the　whole　business。　These　reports　caused　the　Court；　on　the　day　of　the　trial；　to　be　crowded　with　spectators；　and　as　the　various　particulars　of　the　marvellous　history　of　this　double　escape　were　detailed；　the　excitement　grew　more　intense。　The　aspect　of　the　four　heavily…ironed　prisoners　caused　a　sensation　which；　in　that　city　of　the　ironed；　was　quite　novel；　and　bets　were　offered　and　taken　as　to　the　line　of　defence　which　they　would　adopt。　　At　first　it　was　thought　that　they　would　throw　themselves　on　the　mercy　of　the　Crown；　seeking；　in　the　very　extravagance　of　their　story；　to　excite　public　sympathy；　but　a　little　study　of　the　demeanour　of　the　chief　prisoner；　John　Rex；　dispelled　that　conjecture。　　Calm；　placid；　and　defiant；　he　seemed　prepared　to　accept　his　fate；　or　to　meet　his　accusers　with　some　plea　which　should　be　sufficient　to　secure　his　acquittal　on　the　capital　charge。　Only　when　he　heard　the　indictment；　setting　forth　that　he　had　〃feloniously　pirated　the　brig　Osprey；〃　he　smiled　a　little。
  Mr。　Meekin；　sitting　in　the　body　of　the　Court；　felt　his　religious　prejudices　sadly　shocked　by　that　smile。　　〃A　perfect　wild　beast；　my　dear　Miss　Vickers；〃　he　said；　returning；　in　a　pause　during　the　examination　of　the　convicts　who　had　been　brought　to　identify　the　prisoner；　to　the　little　room　where　Sylvia　and　her　father　were　waiting。　　〃He　has　quite　a　tigerish　look　about　him。〃
  〃Poor　man！〃　said　Sylvia；　with　a　shudder。
  〃Poor！　　My　dear　young　lady；　you　do　not　pity　him？〃
  〃I　do；〃　said　Sylvia；　twisting　her　hands　together　as　if　in　pain。　〃I　pity　them　all；　poor　creatures。〃
  〃Charming　sensibility！〃　says　Meekin；　with　a　glance　at　Vickers。　〃The　true　woman's　heart；　my　dear　Major。〃
  The　Major　tapped　his　fingers　impatiently　at　this　ill…timed　twaddle。　Sylvia　was　too　nervous　just　then　for　sentiment。　　〃Come　here；　Poppet；〃　he　said；　〃and　look　through　this　door。　　You　can　see　them　from　here；　and　if　you　do　not　recognize　any　of　them；　I　can't　see　what　is　the　use　of　putting　you　in　the　box；　though；　of　course；　if　it　is　necessary；　you　must　go。〃
  The　raised　dock　was　just　opposite　to　the　door　of　the　room　in　which　they　were　sitting；　and　the　four　manacled　men；　each　with　an　armed　warder　behind　him；　were　visible　above　the　heads　of　the　crowd。　　The　girl　had　never　before　seen　the　ceremony　of　trying　a　man　for　his　life；　and　the　silent　and　antique　solemnities　of　the　business　affected　her；　as　it　affects　all　who　see　it　for　the　first　time。　　The　atmosphere　was　heavy　and　distressing。　　The　chains　of　the　prisoners　clanked　ominously。　The　crushing　force　of　judge；　gaolers；　warders；　and　constables　assembled　to　punish　the　four　men；　appeared　cruel。　　The　familiar　faces；　that　in　her　momentary　glance；　she　recognized；　seemed　to　her　evilly　transfigured。　　Even　the　countenance　of　her　promised　husband；　bent　eagerly　forward　towards　the　witness…box；　showed　tyrannous　and　bloodthirsty。　　Her　eyes　hastily　followed　the　pointing　finger　of　her　father；　and　sought　the　men　in　the　dock。　　Two　of　them　lounged；　sullen　and　inatt