“I’ve had a dispute, a quarrel; blows have been exchanged, and, if I cannot escape from the officer who is after me, I’m a ruined man――ruined for life. You will have compassion on me. You cannot find it in your heart to refuse your aid to a distressed and afflicted man.” “What do you want me to do? If you are discovered here my character will be lost. Go――go at once, or I will call for assistance!” “Nay, you cannot mean anything so cruel――I’m sure you cannot!” he exclaimed, in a beseeching tone. “Will you go, sir?” “Yes, if you will only show me the way. This little affair will blow over in a day or two. Matters can be arranged; but if I fall into the hands of the police I’m lost. Now do you understand a miserable fugitive asking you to protest him? You cannot――you will not refuse.” “How can I protect you?” “Simply by this. The police are on my track; let me out at the back door of the house; I can then make my escape. Now do you understand?” “What have you been doing for the police to be after you?” “I’ve told you. A quarrel――an assault.” “You are a very strange man. I do not understand how you came here.” “I’ll tell you all another time. Show me the way to the back door, and I will go at once and trouble you no more. Quick, no time is to be lost. You will do this, and heaven will reward you. But stay――here is something as a recompense for this little favour.” He took a sovereign from his pocket, which he handed to the girl. She drew back indignantly. “No, sir!” she ejaculated. “I’ll have none of your money.” “Very well,” he answered; “so be it. Trust me, I shall find the way of rewarding you some other time. Now let me out.” “I run great risks. Suppose my master or mistress should hear us descending the stairs.” “I will make no noise. They’ll not hear us.” The girl took the light, and crept softly downstairs. Peace followed. The back door was soon unfastened, and the burglar imprinted a kiss on the hand of his benefactress. “You can jump over the wall at the end of the garden, and reach the court at the back,” she whispered. “Now go.” She closed the door and refastened it; then she betook herself to the window of the back parlour, and saw her strange visitor jump over the wall into a neighbour’s garden. He then climbed another wall, and gained a side street beyond. “Oh, gracious goodness! how glad I am he’s got off. What an extraordinary man!” she ejaculated. “Poor soul, he seemed in the depths of trouble, I shall learn something more about the affair in the morning, I’ll dare be sworn.” She crept softly up the stairs and reached her own room without disturbing any of the other inmates of the house. Meanwhile the police officers had obtained the ladder from the adjoining yard; this they reared against the side of one of the houses which was in close proximity to the warehouse from which Peace had so successfully escaped.