tions connected with the sale of the book, to murder my heroine, I instantly made up my mind that the most summary and most telling way of perpetrating the deed, would be discharging a pistol at her head. Contemporaneously with this determination was the exclamation, 'Oh, I'll blow her brains out at once!'— a determination which Mrs. O'Callaghan, unhappily for herself and me, seems to have supposed referred to her. (Loud laughter, in which the magistrate heartily joined.) Hearing on the stairs loud cries of Murder! murder !' the moment I had audibly announced to myself the mode in which I meant to dispose of my heroine, and never dreaming that I was, in the remotest manner, connected with those alarming exclamations, I sprang to the door, and tore it open without waiting to unlock it. Not seeing any one on the stairs, I hesitated for a moment as to what I should do; but, thinking the parties might have rushed out to the street, I bounded down-stairs, in order that, if needful,

I might assist in apprehending any ruffian that might have been making an attempt on their lives. Judge, your worship, of my sur prise when, on reaching the street, the very first incident which occurred was that of being myself apprehended, and hearing Mrs. O'Callaghan, while pointing to me, vociferating with a desperate emphasis-That's the man! that's the murtherer!'"

The magistrate and all present again laughed immoderately at the ludicrous affair.

"I suppose, Mrs. O'Callaghan," said the magistrate," that you are now satisfied that all your alarm was groundless, and that the whole affair is a mistake."

"And sure I'm nothin' of the kind, yer bonour," replied Mrs. O'Callaghan, astonished at the remark of his worship. "He's only been tryin' to desave yer honour by inventions of his own. Oh, yer worship, it's himself's the mouth of a I'm afraid to say the word, yer honour, lest I should offend you. As sure as

my name's Judy O'Callaghan, a poor, honest, widow woman, he wanted to murther me intirely."

The magistrate was at great pains to convince her that she was mistaken, but all his efforts were unsuccessful. At length, turning to Joseph, his worship said "Perhaps you'll pay Mrs. O'Callaghan the small sum you owe her, and leave her lodgings at once-as, owing to the mistaken notion to which she unfortunately still clings, there could be no satisfaction to either party in any longer continuing your present connexion of landlady and lodger."

"I will, sir, certainly," replied Joseph; "I won't return to her house, and I'll call tomorrow, to her her bill and take away my

trunk."

pay

"Come to me to-morrow!" exclaimed Mrs. O'Callaghan, in an agony of alarm, her whole frame shaking as she spoke. "Come to me! Och, yer honour, don't late him iver show his

murtherous countenance in my house agin. I'd rather lose all the rint he owes me."

"Perhaps, then, you'll send the amount," suggested the magistrate, addressing himself to Joseph.

"Oh, certainly, with the greatest pleasure," replied the latter.

The parties then left the Court, Mrs. O'Callaghan soliciting the protection of a policeman for fear of Joseph, on her way home, and the magistrate smilingly acceding to her wishes.

CHAPTER XI.

Joseph loses one of his engagements-A loan transaction with a money-lender-Singular stratagem-Extraordinary adventure.

THE effect of the exposure of Joseph's affairs, as recorded in the preceding chapter, in conjunction with a feeling of dissatisfaction with him which had, on various accounts, existed in the mind of the proprietor of the weekly journal with which he had been some time connected-was the loss of his engagement. With, therefore, an accumulation of pecuniary obliga tions, arising from the expenses of law proceedings against him, and a diminished income, it will surprise no one to be informed that his affairs were becoming more and more desperate every day. In the extremity of the pecuniary