60 THE HISTORY OF DAME-MITCHELL AND HER CAT.

butler thought fit to engage: the rogue and the cat have
become two intimate friends.”

The housekeeper then went to the garden, and found Ni-
cholas by himself, sitting on a bench, and peeling, with a look
of abstraction, a branch of box-tree which he had in his hand.

“ My lad,” said she, “ the Countess desires you to take
Mowmouth to her.”

“ Mowmouth !” stammered out Nicholas, shuddering at
the sound of that name, as if he had been stung by a wasp.

“Yes, Mowmouth; I thought he was with you.”

“ He has just left me; some people who were passing
by made a noise which frightened him, and he ran off and
took shelter in the shrubbery.”

Dame Mitchell spent half an hour and more in running
about the garden, and then returned to Lady Greenford,
and said to her, “ Mowmouth is absent for the moment,
my lady, but don’t be uneasy ; he left us once before, and
we found him again in the garret.”

“ Let him be sought for directly! I will not wait; I
must see him at once.”

Alas! the wish could hardly be gratified, if we might
trust to the words which were exchanged, in the dark,
between Sharpphiz and his accomplice.

* Well, did you strike ?”

“Yes, Mr. Sharp-
phiz, I struck till the cat
left off stirring.”

“ What have you
done with the body ?”

*T threw it into the
Thames.” =

“Was he really
dead ?”

* He no longer moved.”

* Besides, the bag was tightly drawn,” said the butler:
“justice is done!”