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“But on removing the last letter from the box he received a shook ; for underneath it, at the very bottom, lay money—several golden guineas—‘ Doubtless Harriet’s pocket - money,’ be said to himself; though it was not, bot Mrs. Palmley’s. Before he had got over his qualms at this discovery he heard footsteps coming through the house- passage to where he was. In haste he pushed the box and what was in it under some brashwood which lay in the linhay ; but Jack had been already seen. Two constables entered the out-house, and seized him as be knelt before the fireplace, securing the work-box and all it contained at the same moment. They had come to apprehend him en 8 charge of breaking into the dwelling - house of Mrs. Palmley on the night preceding ; and almost before the lad knew what had happened to him they were leading him along the lane that connects that end of the village with this tarnpike-road, and along they marched him between ’em all the way to Casterbridge jail.

“Jack's act amounted to night burglary—though he had never thought of it—and burglary was felony, and a capital offence in those days. His figure had been seer by some one against the bright wall aa he came away from Mrs. Palmley’s back window, and the box and money were found in hig posseasion, while the evidence of the broken bureau lock and tinkered window- pane was more than enough for circumstantial detail. Whether his protestation that he went only for his letters, which he believed to be wrongfully kept from him, would have availed him anything if supported by other evidence I do not know; but the one person who could have borne it ont was Harriet, and she acted entirely under the sway of her aunt. That aunt was deadly towards Jack Winter. Mrs. Palmley’s time had come, Here was her revenge upon the woman who