and be sent to prison, sir, that's all sir. —- Have the goodness to look at these papers; are you the Vanbeest Brown there mentioned?»

It must be remarked, that Glossin had shuffled among the papers some writings which really did belong to Bertram, and which had been found by the officers in the old vault where his portmanteau was ransacked.

« Some of these papers," said Bertram, looking over them, « are mine, and were in my portfolio when it was stolen from the post-chaise. They are memoranda of little value, and, I see, have been carefully selected as affording no evidence of my rank or character, which many of the other papers would have established fully. They are mingled with ship accounts and other papers, belonging apparently to a person of the

same name."

« And wilt thou attempt to persuade me, friend, that there are two persons in this country at the same time, of thy very uncommon and awkwardly sounding name?»

<< I really do not see, sir, as there is an old Hazlewood and a young Hazlewood, why there should not be an old and young Vanbeest Brown. And, to speak seriously, I was educated in Holland, and I know that this name, however uncouth it may sound to British ears>>

Glossin, conscious that the prisoner was now about to enter upon dangerous ground, interfered, though the interruption was unnecessary, for the purpose of diverting the attention of Sir

Robert Hazlewood, who was speechless and motionless with indignation at the presumptuous comparison implied in Bertram's last speech. In fact, the veins of his throat and of his temples swelled almost to bursting, and he sate with the indignant and disconcerted air of one who has received a mortal insult from a quarter, to which he holds it unmeet and indecorous to make any reply. While with a bent brow and an angry eye he was drawing in his breath slowly and majestically, and puffing it forth again with deep and solemn exertion, Glossin stepped in to his assistance. a I should think now, Sir Robert, with great submission, that this matter may be closed. One of the constables, besides the pregnant proof already produced, offers to make oath, that the sword of which the prisoner was this morning deprived (while using it, by the way, in resistance to a legal warrant) was a cutlass taken from him in the fray between the officers and smugglers, just previous to their attack upon Woodbourne. And yet," added he, « I

would not have you form any rash construction upon that subject; perhaps the young man can explain how he came by that weapon.>>

« That question, sir, I shall also leave unanswered."

<< There is yet another circumstance to be enquired into. This prisoner put into the hands of Mrs MacCandlish of Kippletringan, a parcel containing a variety of gold coins and valuable articles of different kinds. Perhaps, Sir Robert,

you might think it right to ask, how he came by property of a description which seldom occurs?»> « You, sir, Mr Vanbeest Brown, sir, you hear the question, sir, which the gentleman asks you?»

"

<< I have particular reasons for declining to answer that question. >>

<< Then I am afraid, sir, our duty must lay us under the necessity to sign a warrant of committal. »

« As you please, sir; take care, however, what you do. Observe that I inform you that I am a captain in his majesty's regiment, and that I am just returned from India, and therefore cannot possibly be connected with any of those contraband traders you talk of; that my Lieutenant-Colonel is presently at Nottingham, the Major, with the officers of my corps, at Kingston-upon-Thames; I offer before you both to submit to any degree of ignominy, if, within the return of the Kingston and Nottingham posts, I am not able to establish these points. Or you may write to the agent for the regiment, if you please, and»

<«< This is all very well, sir," said Glossin, beginning to fear lest the firm expostulation of Bertram should make some impression on Sir Robert, who would almost have died of shame at committing such a solecism as sending a captain of horse to jail-« This is all very well, sir; but is there no person nearer whom you could refer to ?>>

« There are only two persons in this country who know any thing of me. One is a plain Liddesdale sheep farmer, called Dinmont of Charlies-hope; but he knows nothing more of me than what I told him, and what I now tell you."

«Why, this is well enough, Sir Robert! I suppose he would bring forward this thick-skulled fellow to give his oath of credulity, Sir Robert, ha, ha, ha!»

<< And what is your other witness, friend?» said the Baronet.

« A gentleman whom I have some reluctance to mention, because of certain private reasons; but under whose command I served some time. in India, and who is too much a man of honour to refuse his testimony to my character as a soldier and a gentleman.>>

« And who is this doughty witness, pray, sir? some half-pay quarter-master or serjeant, I suppose?»

« Colonel Guy Mannering, late of the regiment, in which, as I told you, I have a troop.">

« Colonel Guy Mannering!» thought Glossin, « who the devil could have guessed this?»

« Colonel Guy Mannering?» echoed the Baronet, considerably shaken in his opinion, « My good sir,»-apart to Glossin, « the young man with a dreadfully plebeian name, and a good deal of modest assurance, has nevertheless something of the tone, and manners, and feeling, of

a gentleman, of one at least who has lived in good society-they do give commissions very loosely, and carelessly, and inaccurately, in India ---I think we had better pause till Colonel Mannering shall return; he is now, I believe, at Edinburgh."

« You are in every respect the best judge, Sir Robert," answered Glossin, « in every possible respect. I would only submit to you, that we are certainly hardly entitled to dismiss this man upon an assertion which cannot be satisfied by proof, and that we shall incur a heavy responsibility by detaining him in private custody, without committing him to a public jail. Undoubtedly you are the best judge, Sir Robert ;-and I would only say, for my own part, that I very lately incurred severe censure by detaining a person in a place which I thought perfectly secure, and under the custody of the proper officers. The man made his escape, and I have no doubt my own character for attention and circumspection as a magistrate has in some degree suffered I only hint this - I will join in any step you, Sir Robert, think most advisable. >> But Mr Glossin was well aware that such a hint was of power sufficient to decide the motions of his selfimportant, but not self-relying colleague. So that Sir Robert Hazlewood summed up the business in the following speech, which proceeded partly upon the supposition of the prisoner being really a gentleman, and partly upon the opposite belief that he was a villain and an assassin.