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 proached to the brink, and each waited with an inward sensation of awe, expecting which of his confederates would set the example by plunging himself down. This inward sensation of fear and reluctance acted differently, according to the various habits and characters of the company. One looked grave, one looked silly, one gazed with apprehension on the empty seats of the higher end of the table, designed for members of the conspiracy, whose prudence had prevailed over their political zeal, and who had absented themselves from their consultations at this critical period, and some seemed to be reckoning up in their minds the comparative rank and prospects of those who were present and absent. Sir Frederick Langley was absent, moody, and discontented. Ellieslaw himself made such forced efforts to raise the spirits of the company as plainly marked the flagging of his own. Ratcliffe watched the scene with the composure of a vigilant but uninterested