half disappointed as the prospect of an
efficient ally melted into air. "He looked so
much older yesterday, the little thing!"

As she gazed, the lad inclined his head
respectfully, and did not raise it again for a moment,
during which Polly-my-Lamb debated hastily
with herself whether she should return his
greeting. Just as she had resolved to indulge
him by doing so, Stephen entered the room, and
announced Sir James Polhill, who presently
appeared, followed by another person. This second
individual was a very little slender man, with a
bronzed face, and bright intelligent eyes. He
bowed to the young lady, and remained near the
door.

"Good morrow, my dear young friend," said
Sir James. " I told you yesterday that I hoped
to introduce into our plans a new and very
important auxiliary. Here you see him—Henry
Armour—our most capable, and, I may add,
successful officer, for he has never yet been foiled
in any of the cases (and they are not a few)
confided to him. He has been in England but a
few hours, and yet, strange to say, has managed
to hit off the track which has evaded the rest of
us, till your patience, like our own, has all but
failed."

"Do you mean, sir, that you have got upon
the track of the murderers?" said Polly-my-
Lamb, clasping her hands.

Mr. Armour bowed distinct assent.

"O!" she continued, hurriedly. " O, never
leave them! Why are you here now? They
may escape the while."

"Calm yourself, my dear," said the magistrate,
"and you shall know as much as we know. Tell
her everything, Armour."

Thereupon Mr. Armour produced a small
packet, and, opening it, displayed a richly-
enamelled snuff-box, in the centre of the lid of
which appeared a gold shield bearing heraldic
devices, and surmounted by an earl's coronet.
This he placed upon the table, as if it were to
be his text, and, in clear and quiet tones, delivered
himself as follows:

"Sir James has been pleased, madam, to pay
me a compliment, of which, in this case at least,
I am wholly undeserving. It is to sheer good
fortune, not sagacity, we owe this clue. After
having been made acquainted with all the circumstances
of this case, and satisfied myself that
no sort of suspicion attached to any of your
household, while, at the same time, it was clear
that the habits of your father had been ascertained
by the assailants, it occurred to me that strict
inquiry should be made in the immediate vicinity,
with the view of learning whether any person or
persons had been noticed watching the house and
its inmates, prior to the occurrence. At the
very first place—a lodging-house—exactly opposite —"

"Mrs. Ascroft's!"

"You know her, madam? A very respectable,
sharp-witted woman. She told me at once that,
about the period we were speaking of, a person
of gentlemanly demeanour, with light bushy
hair, and rather profuse beard, engaged two
rooms, front and back, on her second floor. He
took a dislike to the back room, complaining of
stable noises, and so forth, caused his bed to be
removed into the front, certainly far less quiet,
apartment, and there, though to all appearance
in the enjoyment of perfect health, he passed the
greater portion of his days, and probably all the
nights, in bed! Occasionally, he walked out in
the evenings, always carefully muffled up.
Altogether, Mrs. Ascroft was so little satisfied
with her lodger's singular ways, that she was
rather pleased than otherwise to receive a note
from him, late one evening, intimating that
though he had engaged his lodging for another
week, he did not purpose to return; and requesting
that his luggage might be forwarded to the
coffee-house from which his communication was
dated. Now, what was the date of this man's
occupancy? Unfortunately, Mrs. Ascroft was
unable to determine it within several days. It
was certainly in March, and, as nearly as she
could remember, just previous to the presumed
murder. His effects, consisting only of a small
quantity of clothes and linen—the latter marked
with the initials ' H. H.'—were sent to Sim's
coffee-house, as he had directed."

But now came the important feature. That
back room, abandoned by the lodger, had, within
these few days, been denuded of its principal
furniture, preparatory to some repairs in the
wainscoting, when, between the wall and a
heavy clothes-press, was discovered the snuff-box
now submitted to the young lady's inspection.
Well, it was but a snuff-box; but observe the arms
and coronet. On a fess wavy azure, three falcons
sable, with jesses of the first. Motto, " Picke and
Pille," the old words for " filch and plunder."
Coronet of an earl. This was the blazon of the
noble house of Hawkweed, whose present head
was the reputed father of the greatest villain in
London, " Lord Lob." " And it is a well-known
whim of that unblushing miscreant," added Mr.
Armour, who had a profound respect for heraldry,
"to desecrate this illustrious badge, by placing
it on every object he possesses."

As it chanced, no one had since occupied the
room, excepting, for a few days, the deceased
Mrs. Haggerdorn, and hers the box could not be,
since her son, who had had charge of all she
possessed, remembered no such article.

"Our inference is," concluded the officer,
"that the mysterious lodger was Lord Lob
himself, in one of the disguises in which he excels;
that the snuff-box accidentally slipped out of his
sight and memory, and thus providentially
supplied a clue of which we will never let go."

"You see, therefore, my dear," said the worthy
magistrate, as comment on the address of his
subordinate, " there is, at length, every probability
of success attending our efforts. Hitherto,
I own, the suspicions attaching to this leader of
Black-Thumbs were not sufficiently defined to
justify the risks that must be run in getting hold