But he died when he was a child--long ago--long ago--long ago." "Would he had done so!" cried Jack.
"Old Van told me if he grew up he would be hanged.

He showed me a black mark under his ear, where the noose would be tied.

And so I'll tell you what I did--" And she burst into a laugh that froze Jack's blood in his veins.
"What did you do ?" he asked, in a broken voice.
"I strangled him--ha! ha! ha!--strangled him while he was at my breast--ha! ha!"-- And then with a sudden and fearful change of look, she added, "That's what has driven me mad, I killed my child to save him from the gallows--oh! oh! One man hanged in a family is enough.

If I'd not gone mad, they would have hanged me." "Poor soul!" ejaculated her son.
"I'll tell you a dream I had last night," continued the unfortunate being.

"I was at Tyburn.