“Mrs. Bristow left!” ejaculated our hero. “Did she go with Bessie, then?” “Yes, they were sworn friends, you know, and when one left, why I suppose the other did not care to be left behind.” “And pray can you tell me the reason of their leaving?” The landlord entered into the particulars of the quarrel between husband and wife and the desperate assault made on the latter, and wound up by saying, “Everybody saw how it would end. She couldn’t stand his cruelty any longer, and, therefore, left him. It’s the wisest thing she ever did.” “And Bessie?” “Oh! she went with her.” “Do you know where they’ve gone to?” The man shook his head. “Not I,” said he. “It is not likely they would let anybody know that; but I’ve been told――――” “What?” “That they are both gone abroad――to America or Australia――so I’ve been given to understand.” Peace was perfectly astounded. “Gone abroad?” he iterated. “Well――yes; and the best thing they could do. They are both young and good-looking, and will do a great deal better in either of those places than they did in this over-taxed country. Working people have not much of a chance here.” The speaker was a Radical of the most pronounced type, and attributed the greater part of the ills which afflict the working class to over-taxation and an oppressive aristocracy. Peace was in no mood to discuss the question――he was too much overwhelmed by the account given by the landlord of the women’s sudden flight. “I shouldn’t bother myself much about them, if I were you, Peace,” said the landlord. “It’s all for the best, depend upon that. They behaved fair and square to me, and I wish them both well.” “Yes――right you are――I won’t bother myself. They are gone, and joy go with them. Thank you for the information.” And wishing the man a hearty farewell, he took his departure. He visited some of his old haunts in the town, and lodged for the night at a coffee-house. In the morning he returned to Sheffield. He was ill at ease――restless and fidgetty――everything appeared to be going wrong with him. Though apparently pursuing at this time the vocation of a picture-frame maker and picture-dealer, he had, as we have already seen, made “overtime” at intervals with varying success. The illustrations which have been given of his career have in many instances shown that he obtained most valuable booty. But the number of occasions on which he failed in his depredations are not so well known; the reader, however, may rest assured that it was not all smooth sailing with him. He had, as it will be our purpose to show, a number of reverses and many narrow escapes. The course which he generally pursued was to “prospect a district well” and make himself thoroughly acquainted with the general movements of the police in it.