The old woman, throwing off her cloak, bonnet and mask, stood before him, erect and threatening; and our hero saw that he had been made the dupe of the _Dead Man_! 'Welcome, Sydney, welcome!' cried the miscreant, his features lighted up with a demon's triumph--'at last thou art in my power. Did I not play my part well? Who so likely to excite thy compassion as an old lady in distress; 'twas ably planned and executed. Thou hast fallen into the trap, and shall never escape. But there are others who will be gratified to see thee, Frank. Nero--Julia--the bird is caught at last!' These last words were uttered in a loud tone; and were immediately responded to by the entrance of Julia and the black. The woman's eyes flashed fire when she beheld the object of her hate; she advanced towards him and spat in his face, saying-- 'May the fires of hell consume thee, heart and soul, detested wretch--thou didst cast me from thee, friendless and unprotected, when a kind reproof might have worked my reformation. Through thee I have become the victim of a ruffian's lust, the object of his cruelty; I have been struck like a dog, (look at this mark upon my cheek,) and I have been compelled to minister to the disgusting and unnatural lechery of a monster--all through thee, thou chicken-hearted knave, who even now doth tremble with unmanly terror!' 'Woman, thou art a liar!' exclaimed our hero, rising and boldly confronting his three enemies--'I do tremble, but with indignation alone! Dare you charge your misfortune upon me? Did you not dishonor me by adultery with this vile negro?--and then to talk to me of kind reproof! Pshaw, thou double-eyed traitorous w----e!--I had served thee rightly had I strangled thee on the spot, and thrown thy unclean carcase to the dogs!' 'Silence, curse ye, or I'll cut out your tongue as I did the _Kinchen's_!' roared the Dead Man, drawing his knife. 'Nero, what cause of complaint have you against this man?' 'Cause enough,' replied the black--'he shut me up in a dark dungeon for having gratified the wishes of his licentious wife.' 'Enough,' cried the Dead Man--'I will now state my grounds of complaint against him. Firstly--he played the spy upon me, and was the cause of my being returned to the State Prison, from which I had escaped. Secondly--he discovered the secrets of my Anthony street crib, and administered a drug to my wife which has deprived her of reason. And thirdly he is my mortal foe, and I hate him. Is that not enough?' 'It is--it is!' replied Julia and the African. The Dead Man continued: