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latter might somewhat turn the scale in his favour. Amid the horrors of his present situation, the recollection of his interference at a moment when death awaited the terrified boy, the manœuvres he employed to explain afterwards to the band his conduct, the part he took in the transmission, with great difficulty, of a note to the Parsonage, stating the means for Philip's return: all these thoughts held a great place in his memory, and served to allay what else would have been an unmitigated load of guilt and despair. In the case of Huntley and the other wretched accomplices of his crimes no such palliating considerations could enter into the circumstances of their condition.

In a fortnight the prisoners were to be tried, and general was the sensation of interest which the impending affair created; the case of Arthur especially, awakened the most lively expectations, and the most anxious suspense for the issue of his trial in the town and neighbourhood of his native Orpington, while the inmates of the Parsonage and Merton Lodge, more particularly, were intently looking forward to the important day. The good Vicar omitted not to pray for the unhappy apostate, now writhing in the prison-house into which his course of evil had plunged him; many a

petition did he breathe in secret, and at the household devotions, for the miserable culprit and his wretched companions; and fervently did he offer from the sacred desk that appropriate passage in our solemn Litany, “That it may please thee to shew thy pity upon all prisoners and captives."

Leaving the several inhabitants of Orpington, and the country round, in expectancy of that day, which would probably determine the fate of the unhappy criminals, we shall carry our readers back to the counting-house of the Messrs. Compton, and shall introduce them to a few scenes which have lately been enacted therein.

CHAPTER XIII.

"Noble he was, contemning all things mean,
His truth unquestioned and his soul serene."
CRABBE.

How many events of importance oft crowd themselves into the short space of a few weeks! Occurrences of stirring interest, of a totally different nature from each other, may be transpiring at one and the same moment in various departments of the living world; the bridal wreath may be woven round the brows of one, at the same instant that the limbs of another are being wrapped in the winding-sheet; and the same sun may be shining at the same hour upon the joyous procession, moving along to the marriage banquet, and upon the funeral group as it winds its way to the place of graves. Thus, while the neighbourhood of Orpington

was wrought to a high pitch of excitement by the events that had recently happened, while the wretched transgressors waited in their gloomy dungeons the recompense of their guilt, occurrences were transpiring in a spot in the midst of our mighty city,-occurrences in which Edward Woodville was one of the principal figures.

For some time past the hatred of Danville towards our hero had increased, and his wish to do something that might diminish his reputation had long been floating in his mind, until that wish became a fixed and settled determination; but how was he to carry out his wicked purpose? how could he perform his diabolical intention ?-alas! there is no artifice too mean which Satan cannot employ for the bringing to pass his accursed designs; and a season shortly presented itself for the gaining of Frederick's object. For several years the merchants had caused a forfeit box to be erected in the counting-house, in which were placed sums for the transgression of such rules as were made for the good order of the society; and as the establishment was somewhat considerable, (consisting of several officers,) at the end of the year the amount would assume no small appearance; it was then opened, and

the contents divided amongst the clerks, and the subordinate members of the house.

This box Danville had managed to open, and had possessed himself of most of its contents. Finding that the key of several of the office drawers unlocked Woodville's desk, he contrived to remain one evening till Edward had left the counting-house for the day, and then stealing to the desk, opened it and deposited the forfeit money under some papers therein, closed it and turned the lock, making it as secure as before. This manoeuvre was the more to his purpose, as the year would be up for revealing the contents of the box on the following day.

The next morning accordingly, the box was produced, and to the astonishment of the merchants, scarcely anything was found within it; and moreover, it bore marks of having been broken open. An immediate enquiry

was instituted; Frederick was foremost in expressing his opinion that the box had been violently opened, and robbed of its contents, and immediately suggested the propriety of making a strict search in the several departments of the office. With consummate artfulness he offered his own desk for the scrutiny first ; and this being the only time that the merchants

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