"I should think, your worships," observed the clerk, in a sweet tone, while the perfumer took two or three steps towards the door, and then paused, as if unwilling to depart without making another effort--"I should think he might be put in the stocks, as a vagabond going about from place to place, not in his lawful calling." "He is a vagrant certainly, your worships," said the constable, "that I can certify, for he does go from place to place." Master Jonas Weston, seeing that he was in sufficiently distressed circumstances to have an ill word from everybody, determined not to provoke further hostility by his presence, and consequently made his way out without loss of time, while Sir Harry West and the justice consulted together for a moment, as to whether he should be suffered to depart. "It is better, perhaps," said the knight, "to let him go. I think I have seen the man's face somewhere before; but as no one has made a charge against him of which you can take cognizance, I do not know how we could proceed with him--and now, my poor girl, what is to be done with you, I wonder?" "Oh, sir," cried Ida Mara, clasping her hands, and speaking in Italian, "you said you would protect me. Do not, do not abandon me. You think because I am in this strange dress, that I am a wild light girl, and can do nothing but sing songs and play upon the lute; but I can do a great many things, and will do anything to show how grateful I am, if you but protect me. Think what I am to do, if you send me out into the world, without money, without friends, without a home. Oh, let me go with you, I am sure you are good and kind. I see it in your face, I hear it in your voice. Let me be the lowest of your servants-- anything, rather than cast me out upon the world again. For the love of God, have pity upon me!" "I fear, my poor child," said the knight, "that in my sober and homely house, we could find no occupation for hands like yours. On my life, I believe that you are as good a girl as ever lived, and something I will certainly do for you; but the only question is, what,--I am very much perplexed, worshipful Master Scully," he continued, turning to the magistrate, who was sitting with his eyes very wide open at hearing such a torrent of a foreign language, which had never met his ear before--"I am very much perplexed as to what is to be done with this poor girl. I evidently saw she had been ill-treated as I came along, and promised she should have protection." "Oh, let her find her way back to her own country," replied Master Scully; "I dare say she's a slut." "I think not," replied Sir Harry West. "All I have seen of her, though it is not much, to be sure, makes me think her a good and virtuous girl; and at near sixty years, sir, after much mingling with the world, one is not easily deceived in such things. At all events, to turn her out and let her find her way back to Italy, will not be the means to keep her good, if she be so."