ear-rings on the table, and made me another
very low bow.

"'And when did you deprive me of them?'
I asked him.

"'When I was discoursing on floriculture,
you had occasion several times to incline
your head towards your charming children,
and gently reprove them for interrupting me.
It was on one of those occasions that the deed
was quickly done. The dear children were
the unconscious confederates in my crime—if
crime you still consider it—since I have told
you, and I spoke the truth; that it was not
for the sake of gain, but simply to satisfy a
passionate curiosity. It was as delicate and
as difficult an operation as any I ever
performed in the whole course of my professional
career.'

"There was a peculiar quaintness of
humour and of action thrown into this
speech; I could not refrain from laughing.
But, to my great satisfaction, the illustrious
pickpocket did not join in the laugh. He
regarded me with a look of extreme humility,
and maintained a respectful silence, which
was shortly broken by a loud knocking at
the outer door. It was the major, who,
suddenly remembering his appointment with
Barrington, had contrived to make his escape
from Government House, in order to keep it.
The major seemed rather surprised to find
Barrington in my drawing-room; but he was
in such a hurry, and so anxious, that he said
nothing on the subject.

"I withdrew to the passage, whence I
could overhear all that took place.

"'Now, look here, Barrington,' said my
husband, impetuously, 'I will have no more
nonsense. As for a free pardon, or even a
conditional pardon, at present, it is out of
the question. In getting you a ticket-of-
leave I have done all that I possibly can;
and, as I am a living man, I give you fair
warning that if you do not keep faith
with me, I will undo what I have already
done. A free pardon! What? Let you
loose upon the society of England again?
The colonial secretary would scout the idea,
and severely censure the governor for
recommending such a thing. You know, as well
as I do, that if you returned to England
to-morrow, and had an income of five
thousand a-year, you would never be able to keep
those fingers of yours quiet.'

'"Well, I think you are right, major,'
said the illustrious personage.

"'Then you will write that letter at once?'

"'I will. But on one condition.'

"'Another condition?'

"'Yes.'

"'Well, what is that condition? You have
so many conditions that I begin to think the
necklace will not be forthcoming after all.
And, if it be not, by—'

"'Do not excite yourself to anger, major. I
give you my honour—'

"'Your honour! Nonsense! What I
want is, the jewel restored to its owner.'

"And it shall be, on condition that you
will not be offended, grievously offended,
with me for what I have done this day!'

"'What is that?'

"'Summon your good wife, and let her
bear witness both for and against me.'

"My husband opened the drawing-room
door, and called out 'Bessie!'

"As soon as I had made my appearance,
Barrington stated the case—all that had
transpired—with minute accuracy; nay,
more, he acted the entire scene in such a
way that it became a little comedy in itself;
the characters being himself, myself, and
the children, all of which characters he
represented with such humour that my
husband and myself were several times in fits
of laughter. Barrington, however, did not
even smile. He affected to regard the little
drama (and this made it the more amusing) as
a very serious business.

"This play over, my husband again put to
Barrington the question: 'Will you write
that letter at once?'

"'Yes,' he replied, 'I will; for I see that
I am forgiven the liberty I was tempted to
take.' And seating himself at the table he
wrote:

"' MR. BARRINGTON presents his compliments to
Mr.—, and requests that a sealed packet, marked
DN. No. 27, be immediately delivered to the bearer
of this note. In the event of this request not
being complied with, Mr. Barrington will have an
opportunity ere long of explaining to Mr.—, in
Sydney, New South Wales, that he (Mr.—) has
been guilty of an act of egregious folly.'

"Fourteen months passed away when, one
morning, my husband received a letter from
a gentleman in the Colonial Office. He
clapped his hands, cried Bravo! and then
read to me as follows:

"'My DEAR MAJOR,—The great pickpocket has
been as good as his word. My lady is again in
possession of her brilliants. Do whatever you can
for Barrington in the colony; but keep a sharp eye
upon him, lest he should come back and once more
get hold of that necklace.'

"My husband sent for Barrington to
inform him of the result of his letter, and he
took an opportunity of asking the illustrious
man if there were any other valuables
which he would like to restore to the original
owners?

"'Thank you—no!' was the reply. 'There
are, it is true, sundry little articles in safe
custody at home; but, as it is impossible
to say what may be in the future, they
had better for the present stand in my own
name?'"

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