"Do you remain here," said Old Death, addressing himself to his myrmidon Bunce; "and if the woman revives and attempts to struggle or any nonsense of that kind, give her a knock on the head just to quiet her—but no more." "All right," returned Toby, rejoiced to find that he had only a female to deal with. Old Death then took the light, and, followed by Jacob, cautiously ascended the stairs. They entered the front-room on the first-floor. It was a parlour, very neatly furnished: but no one was there. "The boy must be in the back chamber," murmured Old Death; and thither they proceeded. Having opened the door as noiselessly as possible, they advanced slowly into the room; but scarcely had the candle shed its light upon the bed, when they beheld the boy—the object of their enterprise—cradled on the bare and beautifully modelled arm of a female also wrapped in slumber, and whose coal-black hair spread itself over the white pillow, and partially concealed her glowing bust. "The Jewess!" whispered Jacob, in a rapid, concentrated tone. Old Death instantly shaded the light with his hand, and retreated from the room, followed by the lad. But at that moment a loud knock at the front-door was heard; and simultaneously a piercing shriek burst from the apartment below, where Toby Bunce had been left in charge of the landlady. Old Death muttered a terrible curse, extinguished the light, and hastened down stairs as noiselessly as possible—Jacob following with equal caution. "The back way," murmured Old Death: "but first go and help Toby, who is in some trouble or another with the landlady." Jacob darted into the front-room; and as it was quite dark, he stumbled over a chair. The struggle between Toby and the landlady, who had succeeded in getting off the plaster, was now renewed; and, releasing her throat from the suffocating grasp which her assailant had upon it, she screamed for help a second time. The knocking at the front-door was redoubled; and in a few moments a light gleamed from the head of the stairs. "Perdition!" murmured old Death: "it is the Jewess!" Then, rushing into the front room, he exclaimed, "Come off this moment!" and he was about to beat a retreat by the back way, when the house-door was forced in with a vigorous push. "What the devil is doing here?" cried the well-known voice of Tom Rain, as he banged the door behind him and drew the bolt. "Who was screaming? What——" "Oh! Tom—is that you?" exclaimed a melodious, though excited voice on the stairs; "there are thieves—murderers in the house!" And the half-naked lady, with her coal-black hair floating around her shoulders and over her bosom, suddenly appeared at the turning of the narrow staircase, holding a candle. The light illumed the small passage below, and showed Tom Rain, standing with his back against the front-door, and with a pistol in each hand. A third scream burst from the parlour.