It was on a stormy midnight, when nearly three weeks had elapsed since Jenkins had left, when a party who were in company with Gordon in the little back room, smoking, were suddenly aroused by hearing a shrill whistle. The cigars were removed from their lips in an instant, and they jumped hastily to their feet. ‘Jenkins’s signal, by all that’s fortunate;’ exclaimed Gordon, advancing towards the door, ‘they have come back at last, and all safe, I hope!’ ‘This has, indeed, been a long trip captain,’ said Gordon, ‘and I had began to fear that you were never going to return.’ ‘Better late than never,’ answered Jenkins; ‘but how is all at the house?’ ‘Quite safe, captain,’ replied Gordon, with a peculiar grin, ‘the lady is in her own apartments with her companion, Alice, and that arrant scoundrel Blodget, confined in one of the vaults underneath, where he has been since two or three days after your departure.’ ‘Ah!’ exclaimed Jenkins, ‘has he then dared to scorn the warning that I gave him?’ Gordon briefly related what had taken place between Blodget and our heroine. ‘Why, the damned villain!’ cried Jenkins, passionately; ‘after the strict injunctions which I laid upon him, and knowing that he was placed entirely at my mercy. But he shall pay dearly for it; his doom is sealed.’ ‘I did not know whether you would approve of the lodging I had given the fellow,’ answered Gordon. ‘You have acted perfectly right,’ said Jenkins; ‘and I commend you for what you have done. Blodget shall quickly have another berth, and his career he may reckon at an end. And is the lady quite well?’ Gordon answered in the affirmative. ‘I am happy to hear that,’ said Jenkins; ‘she shall not much longer remain in the position she is now placed in.—Poor lady, I shall for ever regret having been instrumental in any way towards her unhappiness; but I knew not who she was, or the villain Blodget should not have retained possession of her. However, his time of shame is fast approaching, and bitterly will he have to pay for all.’ ‘It is, then, your intention to restore the lady to liberty?’ asked Gordon. ‘Certainly,’ answered Jenkins, ‘and to her friends.’ ‘But you will run a great risk in so doing, will you not?’ ‘No; leave me alone for that; I have arranged everything in my own mind,’ said Jenkins. ‘But how do you propose to dispose of Blodget?’ inquired Gordon. ‘I have not exactly made up my mind, although I did threaten him with death,’ answered Jenkins. ‘To-morrow night, or the next, I shall convey the scoundrel far away from hence.’ ‘You would not deprive him of life?’ ‘No,’ replied Jenkins, ‘not by my own hands; besides it would be a pity to deprive the hangman of a job.’ Gordon did not return any answer to this, for when he recollected the crimes of which he had himself been guilty, he thought that it was not all unlikely that he should himself afford employment for that functionary, sooner or later.