These were supplied; and I was soon in possession of her letter, couched cautiously, but more peremptorily than the former one. I need hardly say it did not reach its destination. She passed the next day in a state of feverish impatience; and no answer returning, wrote again, her words this time conveying an evident though indistinct threat. I refrained from visiting her till two days had thus passed, and found her, as I expected, eaten up with fury. She glared at me as I entered the cell like a chained tigress. "You appear vexed," I said, "no doubt because Jackson declines to get you bailed. He ought not to refuse you such a trifling service, considering all things." "All what things?" replied the woman, eyeing me fiercely. "That you know best, though I have a shrewd guess." "What do you guess? and what are you driving at?" "I will deal frankly with you, Sarah Purday. In the first place, you must plainly perceive that your _friend_ Jackson has cast you off--abandoned you to your fate; and that fate will, there can be no doubt, be transportation." "Well," she impatiently snarled, "suppose so; what then?" "This--that you can help yourself in this difficulty by helping me." "As how?" "In the first place, give me the means of convicting Jackson of having received the stolen property." "Ha! How do you know that?" "Oh, I know it very well--as well almost as you do. But this is not my chief object; there is another far more important one," and I ran over the incidents relative to the attempt at poisoning. "Now," I resumed, "tell me, if you will, your opinion on this matter." "That it was Jackson administered the poison, and certainly not the young woman," she replied with vengeful promptness. "My own conviction! This, then, is my proposition:--you are sharp-witted, and know this fellow's ways, habits, and propensities thoroughly--I, too, have heard something of them--and it strikes me that you could suggest some plan, some device grounded on that knowledge, whereby the truth might come to light." The woman looked fixedly at me for some time without speaking. As I meant fairly and honestly by her I could bear her gaze without shrinking. "Supposing I could assist you," she at last said, "how would that help me?" "It would help you greatly. You would no doubt be still convicted of the burglary, for the evidence is irresistible; but if in the meantime you should have been instrumental in saving the life of an innocent person, and of bringing a great criminal to justice, there cannot be a question that the Queen's mercy would be extended to you, and the punishment be merely a nominal one." "If I were sure of that!" she murmured with a burning scrutiny in her eyes, which were still fixed upon my countenance--"if I were sure of that! But you are misleading me."