He drew the shrinking girl towards him, and in spite of her resistance, profaned her pure lips with unholy kisses. During the conversation just related, day had softly melted into dim twilight, and the loungers on the Common had mostly taken their departure; very few were in the vicinity of Radcliff and Sophia--and there was but one person who saw the scene of kissing and struggling that we have described. That person was a young and handsome man, well-dressed, and possessing an open, generous and manly countenance. Observing what was going on between the pair, and seeing that the young lady was suffering violence from her companion, he silently approached, nobly resolved to protect the weaker party, at all hazards. Sophia had partially escaped from the grasp of Radcliff, and he was about to seize her again, when the young man just mentioned stepped forward, and said, calmly-- 'Come, sir, you have abused that young lady enough; molest her no further.' 'And who the devil may you be, who presumes thus to interfere with a gentleman's private amusements?' demanded the libertine, with savage irony: but the bold eyes of the other quailed not before his fierce glance. 'It matters not particularly who I am,' replied the young man, sternly--'suffice it for you to know that I am one who is bound to protect a lady against the assaults of a ruffian, even if that ruffian is clad in the garb of a gentleman.' 'Oh, sir,' said Sophia, bursting into tears--'God will reward you for rescuing me from the power of that bad man.' Radcliff's eyes literally blazed with fury as he strode towards the young lady's protector. 'You called me a ruffian,' said he, 'take _that_ for your impudence,' and he attempted to strike the young man--but the blow was skillfully warded off, and he found himself extended on the grass in a twinkling. Two policeman now ran up and demanded the cause of the fracas. The young man related everything that had occurred, whereupon the officers took Radcliff into custody. 'Fellow,' said the individual, haughtily addressing his antagonist,--'you are, I presume, nothing more than a shopman or common mechanic, beneath my notice; you therefore may hope to escape the just punishment of your insolence to-night.' 'You are a liar,' calmly responded the other--'I am neither a shopman nor a mechanic, and if I were, I should be far superior to such a scoundrel as you. I am a gentleman; your equal in birth and fortune--your superior in manhood and in honor. If you desire satisfaction for my conduct to-night, you will find me at the Tremont House, at any time. My name is Francis Sydney. I shall see this lady in safety to her residence.' Radcliff was led away by the two officers. They had proceeded but a short distance, when he thus addressed them-- 'My good fellow, it is scarcely worth while to trouble yourselves to detain me on account of this trifling affair. Here's five dollars a piece for you--will that do?'