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 bearing; as he turned towards the officers of justice—"I call upon you to discharge your duty; if this be a rightful warrant, I am your prisoner, but I am not this man's. I command your protection from him!"

Walter had already released his gripe, and said, in a muttered voice:

"My passion misled me, violence is unworthy my solemn cause. God and Justice—not these hands, are my avengers."

"Your avengers!" said Aram, "what dark words are these? This warrant accuses me of the murder of one Daniel Clarke; what is he to thee?"

"Mark me, man!" said Walter, fixing his eyes on Aram's countenance. "The name of Daniel Clarke was a feigned name; the real name was Geoffrey Lester; that murdered Lester was my father, and the brother of him whose daughter, had I not come to-day, you would have called your wife!"

Aram felt, while these words were uttered, that the eyes of all in the room were on him, and