softened grief that bespoke the satisfaction the sight
afforded her.

While he was thus engaged, Kit made some anxious in-
quiries about his employers, and whether they had expressed
any opinion about him; but all he could learn was that Mr.
Abel had himself broken the intelligence to his Mother with
great kindness and delicacy late on the previous night, but
had himself expressed no opinion of his innocence or guilt.
Kit was on the point of mustering courage to ask Barbara's
mother about Barbara, when the turnkey who had con-
ducted him re-appeared, a second turnkey appeared behind
his visitors, and the third turnkey with the newspaper cried
"Time's up!"--adding in the same breath "Now for the
next party!" and then plunging deep into his newspaper
again. Kit was taken off in an instant, with a blessing from
his mother, and a scream from little Jacob, ringing in his
ears. As he was crossing the next yard with the basket in
his hand, under the guidance of his former conductor,
another officer called to them to stop, and came up with a
pint-pot of porter in his hand.

"This is Christopher Nubbles, isn't it, that come in last
night for felony?" said the man.

His comrade replied that this was the chicken in question.

"Then here's your beer," said the other man to Chris-
topher. "What are you looking at? There an't a dis-
charge in it."

"I beg your pardon," said Kit. "Who sent it me?"

"Why, your friend," replied the man. "You're to have
it every day, he says. And so you will, if he pays for it."

"My friend!" repeated Kit.

"You're all abroad, seemingly," returned the other man.
"There's his letter. Take hold!"

Kit took it, and when he was locked up again, read as
follows.

"Drink of this cup. You'll find there's a spell in its every
drop 'gainst the ills of mortality. Talk of the cordial that
sparkled for Helen! Her cup was a fiction, but this is
reality ( Barclay & Co. 's). If they ever send it in a flat
state, complain to the Governor. Yours, R. S."

"R. S.!" said Kit, after some consideration. "It must
be Mr. Richard Swiveller. Well, it's very kind of him, and
I thank him heartily."

-445-