I will take care: fo to guard it that no man fhall traduce it with impunity."

CHAPTER XI.

A Blow well placed in the Dark, or, in other Words, according to the Greek Proverb, Blachford fhears a Lion.

AS Henry paffed through the hall, after his conference related in the foregoing chapter, he was met by Lady Crowbery, who haftily put a paquet into his hand, conjuring him to take care of it, and keep fecret the contents." In that paper," fhe faid, "you will fee the mystery of your birth reveal'd: Betake yourself to my uncle Manstock without delay, and Heaven in its mercy protect and guard you !"

Henry, almoft overpowered with joyful furprize, at hearing what that paper was to dif close, took it with all the rapture and devotion, which its interefting contents excited, and carefully fecured it in his pocket. He had yet. fufficient recollection left to feize the oppornity for returning the ring to Lady Crowbery wrapped up in paper and tied; at the fame

time he briefly recited what had been faid to him by the man who found it: Lady Crowbery feemed a good deal furprized, and denied having miffed any one of her rings, however as the time was preffing, and the danger of being discovered inftant, fhe took it from him, and again bidding him tenderly farewell, haftened away.

There were two roads to the village; the shortest by a foot-path through the plantation, which was close and now dark, the other was the common coach-road through the park, open and secure from ambuscade. As Henry came out from the hall-door, he found old Weevil the miller waiting in the court-yard: he had been to the house with flour, and had been chatting as ufual with the fervants; he understood from them, that Henry was under examination with my lord, and having noticed O'Rourke prowling about the plantations with his bludgeon in his hand, entertained fome fufpicions of a plot upon Henry, and was determined to accompany him home, and perfuaded him to take the open road through the park.

This was a tafk of fome difficulty on the part of the friendly miller, for Henry's eager

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nefs to open the important pacquet made him very adverse to any propofal that prolonged the time; the point, however, was carried, and he, accompanied by Weevil, arrived fafe at the widow's, whilft Larry O'Rourke laid clofe in his ambush at the bottom of the grove, where was a little foot-bridge that led over a narrow ftream, thickly fhaded with alders.

When a much longer period of time had elapsed than would have served to carry Henry through the grove, Blachford, who calculatedminutes, with fome anxiety, set out from the Viscounts upon the fcout, and took his way fecretly and folitarily down the plantationwalk as he approached the fpot where. the attack was to be made, he ftopt and liftened; all was filence: he took counfel with his own thoughts, and concluding the business was done, advanced, nothing doubting, till he had one foot upon the bridge, when, the bridge, when, as if fortune had in that inftant recovered her eye-fight and bestowed the bludgeon with ftrict retaliation upon its proper owner, Larry O'Rourke, fuppofing he had now made fure of his victim, took aim with fuch fuccefs, and dealt his blow with fo hearty a good-will upon the pericranium

of

of the magistrate, that Blachford, having uttered one horrid yell as his heels flew from under him, inftantly paid his compliments to the muddy naiads of the brook.

The George and Dragon alehouse, where the party was caroufing, who had performed the ceremony of the gibbet, was fo near to the scene of action, that Blachford's yell was most distinctly heard by the perfons there affembled, who immediately turned out upon the alarm. Amongst the first of these was John Jenkins the hangman, who found Larry O'Rourke employed in dragging the justice out of the water, for he had now, though fomewhat of the lateft, difcovered a small mistake as to heads, but in point of execution no fault could be found with his work, which feemed to be effectually done, as the blow had taken place just above the temple, and the bludgeon was loaded with lead. John Jenkins being fomewhat more than elevated with his evening's feftivity, was for leaving the juftice to his fate, making use of the trite proverb, that the man who was born to be hanged, was in no danger of being drowned; but the foberer part of the company, who

faw further into the cafe than John did, lent their hands to the work, and affifted in dragging Blachford out of the brook, who during the whole operation observed a perfect filence, which we are far from imputing to any fullennefs on the part of that gentleman, he being at that time from home upon a temporary trip to the regions of infenfibility.

One of the company had been dispatched for a candle and lantern, and by the light of this the body of Juftice Blachford, stretched upon the ground and motionlefs, exhibited a moft ghaftly fpectacle; his temple streaming with blood, his eyes fixed, and no fymptom of life appearing. Upon the fight of this, Larry O'Rourke fet up a moft dolorous howl in the true Connaught key and cadence, crying out." Ullaloo! Mafter, why wou'd you die? Had'nt you horses and cows and cattle in abundance, with plenty of strong drink in your vaults, and ftore of money in your lockers, and why wou'd you leave poor Larry to lament and cry over you at such a rate, when you might have been eafy and quiet at home, and no harm done? Ah! was'nt it a foul step of your's to thrust your head in the

way