we all have to do it at odd times: hold a candle
to the devil: here she comes: I think she is
everywhere all at one time. The Robin then
sauntered away, affecting nonchalance: and
Alfred proceeded to hold the candle as directed.
"Mrs. Archbold," said he timidly, rising from
his seat at her approach.

"Sir," said she haughtily, and affecting
surprise.

"I have a favour to ask you, madam. Would
you be so kind as to let me go back to my room?"

"What, you have found I am not so powerless
as you thought."

"I find myself so weak, and you so powerful,
that—you can afford to be generous."

"I have no more power over you than you
have over me."

"I wish it was so."

"I'll prove it," said she. " Who has got the
key of your room? Hayes?" She whistled,
and sent for him; and gave him the requisite
order before Alfred. Alfred thanked her warmly.

She smiled, and went away disposed to change
her tactics, and, having shown him how she could
torment, try soothing means, and open his heart
by gratitude.

But presently looking out of her window she
saw the Robin and him together; and somehow
they seemed to her subtle, observant eyes, to be
plotting. The very suspicion was fatal to that
officer. His discharge was determined on.
Meantime she set her spies to watch him, and
tell her if they saw or heard anything.

Now Mrs. Archbold was going out to tea that
evening, and, as soon as ever this transpired, the
keepers secretly invited the keeperesses to a
party in the first-class patients' drawing-room.
This was a rare opportunity, and the Robin and
Garrett put their heads together accordingly.

In the dusk of the evening the Robin took an
opportunity and slipped a new key of the back
gate into Alfred's hand, and told him the trick
was to be done that very night: he was to get
Thomson to go to bed early: and, instead of
taking off his clothes, was to wait in readiness.
"We have been plying Hayes already," said the
Robin, "and, as soon as she is off, we shall hocus
him, and get the key; and, while they are all
larking in the drawing-room, off you go to                                                      Merrimashee."

"Oh, you dear Robin! You have taken my
breath away. But how about Vulcan?"

"Oh, we know how to make him amiable: a
dog-fancier, a friend of mine, has provided the
ondeniable where dogs is concerned; whereby
Garrett draws the varmint into the scullery, and
shuts him in, while I get the key from the
other. It's all right."

"Ah, Robin," said Alfred, "it sounds too good
to be true. What? this my last day here!"

The minutes seemed to creep very slowly till
eight o'clock came. Then he easily persuaded
David to go to bed; Hayes went up and
unlocked the door for them: it closed with a catch-lock.
Hayes was drunk, but full of discipline,
and insisted on the patients putting out their
clothes; so Alfred made up a bundle for his
portmanteau, and threw it out. Hayes eyed it
suspiciously, but was afraid to stoop and inspect
it closer; for his drunken instinct told him he
would pitch on his head that moment: so he
retired grumbling, and dangling his key.

At the end of the corridor he met Mrs. Archbold
full dressed, and with a candle in her hand.
She held the candle up and inspected him; and
a little conversation followed that sobered Mr.
Hayes for a minute or two.

Mrs. Archbold was no sooner gone to her little
tea-party than all the first-class ladies and gentlemen
were sent to bed to get a good sleep for the
good of their health, and the keepers and
keeperesses took their place and romped, and
made such a row sleep was not easy within
hearing of them. They sat on the piano, they
sang songs to a drum accompaniment played on
the table, they danced, drank, flirted, and enjoyed
themselves like schoolboys. Hayes alone was
gloomy, and morose: so the Robin and Garrett
consoled him, drank with him, and soothed him
with the balm of insensibility: in which condition
they removed him under charitable pretences,
and searched his pockets in the passage for the
key of Alfred's room.

To their infinite surprise and disappointment
it was not upon him.

The fact is, Mrs. Archbold had snatched it
from him in her wrath, and put it in her own
pocket. How far her suspicions went, how much
her spies had discovered, I really don't know;
but somehow or other she was uneasy in her
mind, and, seeing Hayes in such a state, she
would not trust him during her absence, but
took the key away with her.

The Robin and Garrett knew nothing of this,
and were all abroad; but they thought Rooke
must have the key; so they proceeded to drink
with him, and were just about to administer a
really effective soporific in his grog, when they
and all the merry party were suddenly startled by
violent ringing at the bell, and thundering and
halloaing at the hall door. The men jumped to
their feet and balanced themselves, and looked
half wild, half stupid. The women sat, and
began to scream: for they had heard a word
that has terrors for us all; peculiar terrors for
them.

This alarm was due to a personage hitherto
undervalued in the establishment.

Mr. Francis Beverley had been THINKING. So
now, finding all the patients boxed up, and their
attendants romping in the drawing-room, he
lighted seven fires, skilfully on the whole, for
practice makes perfect; but, singular oversight,
he omitted one essential ingredient in a fire, and
that was the grate.

To be plain, Mr. Francis made seven bonfires
of bed-curtains, chairs, and other combustibles in
the servants' garrets, lighted them
contemporaneously, and retired to the basement, convinced
he had taken the surest means to deliver his