"Villains!" cried a deep, powerful voice, as a huge form met them, in full career, staggering through the darkness; "villains! unhand this girl, or, by Heavens, you'll rue the hour you ever placed a finger on her." "Help! help!" "And who are you, I'd like to know, that dares to put his finger in our p-p-pie?" returned Quirk, trying to dash past the tall figure with his burden. "I am one that dares to protect defenceless virtue, whenever I see it thus assailed. This girl is not what you take her for, or she would never cry for help; and I tell you to put her down, or I will make you," returned the other, lifting his strong arm, and still preventing them from passing. The girl struggled in the grasp of her captors, and moaned. The new comer sprang forward with a bound, and clasping his arms about her, strove to draw her from their hold. "Not so fast, not so fast," said Clinton, placing one hand over the girl's mouth; "remember we're three to one here, and if you don't want your head broke, you'd better keep away." "That's the kind," said Arthur, coming forward; "hold on to her, Clin--" The words were no sooner spoken, than the speaker fell to the pavement, leveled by a heavy blow from the arm of the intruder, and a second blow sent Quirk, staggering, into the gutter, while at the same moment the girl was snatched from the now yielding arms of Clinton. As she gained her feet, she flung back her hair from her eyes, and looked up in the face of her rescuer. "Monsieur Wilkins!" "Good Heavens! is this Blanche?" At the mention of Wilkins' name, Arthur and Quirk sprang to their feet, and started on a run down the street, followed by Clinton. "A devilish muss this," cried Quirk, as they paused on a corner, a few blocks from the scene of their discomfiture. "It was too dark for him to recognize a soul of us," returned Clinton; "if it hadn't been for the lamp gleam coming suddenly through that window, she would not have known him." "I hope he didn't know me," said Arthur, rubbing his forehead, which had struck the pavement as he fell, and feeling considerably sobered by his fall, and the recent flight. "I don't want this scrape to go back to Guly." "Who's that? your young milk-and-water brother! Pshaw! what does he know about the fun of such things? If you want to enjoy yourself, I advise you to keep your sprees a secret from him; he has no soul to appreciate such affairs." "You are more than half right there." "He's the kind of character I can't bear to be near," said Quirk, emphatically. "You couldn't pay him a higher compliment than to say that," returned Arthur, warmly. "Well, well, don't get into a miff about a trifle now. Clint, where shall we go to?" "I shall go home, I reckon; my head aches," said Arthur. "No, you won't go home either," replied Clinton, pulling him along with him, good-naturedly. "Let's make a night of it, now we have begun. What do you say for the Globe ball-room? There's a high affair there to-night, and