"My lord," she continued, in an impressive and solemn tone, "take care what you do; you are on the brink of a precipice." "Indeed ?" said the Lord Keeper, his mind reverting to the political circumstances of the country.

"Has anything come to your knowledge--any plot or conspiracy ?" "No, my lord; those who traffic in such commodities do not call to their councils the old, blind, and infirm.

My warning is of another kind.

You have driven matters hard with the house of Ravenswood.

Believe a true tale: they are a fierce house, and there is danger in dealing with men when they become desperate." "Tush," answered the Keeper; "what has been between us has been the work of the law, not my doing; and to the law they must look, if they would impugn my proceedings." "Ay, but they may think otherwise, and take the law into their own hand, when they fail of other means of redress." "What mean you ?" said the Lord Keeper.