Of this boy she had only caught a glimpse;--but that glimpse was sufficient to satisfy her it was her son,--and, if she could have questioned her own instinctive love, she could not question her antipathy, when she beheld, partly concealed by a pillar immediately in the rear of the woollen-draper, the dark figure and truculent features of Jonathan Wild.

As she looked in this direction, the thief-taker raised his eyes--those gray, blood-thirsty eyes!--their glare froze the life-blood in her veins.
As she averted her gaze, a terrible idea crossed her.

Why was he there?
why did the tempter dare to invade that sacred spot! She could not answer her own questions, but vague fearful suspicions passed through her mind.

Meanwhile, the service proceeded; and the awful command, "_Thou shalt not steal_!" was solemnly uttered by the preacher, when Mrs.Sheppard, who had again looked round towards her son, beheld a hand glance along the side of the woollen-draper.

She could not see what occurred, though she guessed it; but she saw Jonathan's devilish triumphing glance, and read in it,--"Your son has committed a robbery--here--in these holy walls--he is mine--mine for ever!" She uttered a loud scream, and fainted..