Several bills were unpaid--some portion of the rent was due; and Alice, as she was desired, intrusted the old servant with a bank note, with which she was to discharge these petty debts.

One evening, as she brought Alice the surplus, the good dame seemed greatly discomposed.

She was pale and agitated; or, as she expressed it, "had a terrible fit of the shakes." "What is the matter, Mrs.Jones?
you have no news of him--of--of my--of your master ?" "Dear heart, miss--no," answered Mrs.Jones; "how should I?
But I'm sure I don't wish to frighten you; there has been two sich robberies in the neighbourhood!" "Oh, thank Heaven that's all!" exclaimed Alice.
"Oh, don't go for to thank Heaven for that, miss; it's a shocking thing for two lone females like us, and them 'ere windows all open to the ground! You sees, as I was taking the note to be changed at Mr.
Harris's, the great grocer's shop, where all the poor folk was a-buying agin to-morrow" (for it was Saturday night, the second Saturday after Ernest's departure; from that Hegira Alice dated all her chronology), "and everybody was a-talking about the robberies last night.

La, miss, they bound old Betty--you know Betty--a most respectable 'oman, who has known sorrows, and drinks tea with me once a week.

Well, miss, they (only think!) bound Betty to the bedpost, with nothing on her but her shift--poor old soul! And as Mr.Harris gave me the change (please to see, miss, it's all right), and I asked for half gould, miss, it's more convenient, sich an ill-looking fellow was by me, a-buying o' baccy, and he did so stare at the money, that I vows I thought he'd have rin away with it from the counter; so I grabbled it up and went away.