He was a man who could make himself agreeable enough when it answered his purpose to do so. He was in no way deficient in conversational powers; was tolerably well informed upon most subjects, and generally ingratiated himself in the good graces of most persons with whom he came in contact. To a certain extent the girl, Bessie Dalton, was proud of him. He was far ahead in many ways of the working population of Bradford, who, one and all, voted him a right good fellow. For a short time he led a tolerably quiet life. But it was not in his nature to earn a respectable living for long without having recourse to his evil courses. He became straitened in circumstances, and once more he essayed to replenish his exchequer by his midnight excursions. Since the disastrous affair at Oakfield House he had made up his mind to carry on business on his own account. He would have no accomplices. None should know of his depredations save the girl Bessie, in whom he had implicit confidence. And it is but justice to her to note that whatever may have been her faults she never betrayed Charles Peace. He was for the first time made up as a one-arm man. He had for a long time contemplated disguising himself in this way, and the better to carry out his purpose had moulded a piece of gutta-percha, to which a hook was attached, his hand, when drawn up, fitting into the socket of the gutta-percha. When this instrument――if it can be so termed――was on no person in the world would have guessed that he was anything else but a one-armed man. Disguising himself after this fashion, and staining his face so as to represent a mulatto, he one night started upon one of his lawless expeditions. He passed quickly out of the town of Bradford, and made direct for a small but handsomely-built house, just on the outskirts of Dudley-hill. The house, which was built of stone, with bay windows and a handsome portico in front, was in the occupation of a wealthy gentleman, who was a retired mill-owner. Shrewdly guessing that a pretty considerable amount of moveable property would be found within this habitation, Peace had determined to pay it a visit. Upon his arrival in front of the house he opened the garden-gate with a skeleton key, closed it again, and began to mature his plan of operations. There was a garden in the front and rear of the villa, which stood by itself on the brow of the hill. No other habitation was near it――certainly none within a quarter of a mile. Peace deftly climbed up to the balcony which stood in front of the first floor window. This balcony was half filled with evergreens, and these completely concealed him from any chance passenger――not, indeed, that there was a single living person to be seen abroad save himself. The windows were what is termed French ones; they opened in the centre, and swung back on hinges, like folding doors. He had not much difficulty in lifting the bottom bolt of these, the top one had not been pushed into its socket.