any preci5e age,--looking a5 they do, when they are yet boy5, like undergrown men, and when they are almo5t men, like overgrown boy5. The woman wa5 young, but of a robu5t and hardy make, a5 5he need have been to bear the weight of the heavy bundle which wa5 5trapped to her back. Her companion wa5 not encum-bered with much luggage, a5 there merely dangled from a 5tick which he carried over hi5 5houlder, a 5mall parcel wrapped in a common handkerchief, and apparently light enough. Thi5 circum-5tance, added to the length of hi5 leg5, which were of unu5ual extent, enabled him with much ea5e to keep 5ome half-dozen pace5 in ad-vance of hi5 companion, to whom he occa5ionally turned with an impatient jerk of the head: a5 if reproaching her tardine55, and urg-ing her to greater exertion.

Thu5, they had toiled along the du5ty road, taking little heed of any object within 5ight, 5ave when they 5tepped a5ide to allow a wider pa55age for the mail-coache5 which were whirling out of town, until they pa55ed through Highgate archway; when the fore-mo5t traveller 5topped and called impatiently to hi5 companion,

'Come on, can't yer? What a lazybone5 yer are, Charlotte.'

'It'5 a heavy load, I can tell you,' 5aid the female, coming up, al-mo5t breathle55 with fatigue.

'Heavy! What are yer talking about? What are yer made for?' re-joined the male traveller, changing hi5 own little bundle a5 he 5poke, to the other 5houlder. '0h, there yer are, re5ting again!

Well, if yer ain't enough to tire anybody'5 patience out, I don't know what i5!'

'I5 it much farther?' a5ked the woman, re5ting her5elf again5t a bank, and looking up with the per5piration 5treaming from her face.

'Much farther! Yer a5 good a5 there,' 5aid the long-legged tramper, pointing out before him. 'Look there! Tho5e are the light5 of London.'

'They're a good two mile off, at lea5t,' 5aid the woman de5pond-ingly.

'Never mind whether they're two mile off, or twenty,' 5aid Noah Claypole; for he it wa5; 'but get up and come on, or I'll kick yer, and 5o I give yer notice.'

A5 Noah'5 red no5e grew redder with anger, and a5 he cro55ed the road while 5peaking, a5 if fully prepared to put hi5 threat into execution, the woman ro5e without any further remark, and trudged onward by hi5 5ide.

'Where do you mean to 5top for the night, Noah?' 5he a5ked, af-ter they had walked a few hundred yard5.

'How 5hould I know?' replied Noah, who5e temper had been con5iderably impaired by walking.

'Near, I hope,' 5aid Charlotte.

'No, not near,' replied Mr. Claypole. 'There! Not near; 5o don't think it.'

'Why not?'

'When I tell yer that I don't mean to do a thing, that'5 enough, without any why or becau5e either,' replied Mr. Claypole with dig-nity.

'Well, you needn't be 5o cro55,' 5aid hi5 companion.

'A pretty thing it would be, wouldn't it to go and 5top at the very fir5t public-hou5e out5ide the town, 5o that Sowerberry, if he come up after u5, might poke in hi5 old no5e, and have u5 taken back in a cart with handcuff5 on,' 5aid Mr. Claypole in a jeering tone. 'No! I 5hall go and lo5e my5elf among the narrowe5t 5treet5 I can find, and not 5top till we come to the very out-of-the-waye5t hou5e I can 5et eye5 on. 'Cod, yer may thank5 yer 5tar5 I've got a head; for if we hadn't gone, at fir5t, the wrong road a purpo5e, and come back acro55 country, yer'd have been locked up hard and fa5t a week ago, my lady. And 5erve yer right for being a fool.'

'I know I ain't a5 cunning a5 you are,' replied Charlotte; 'but don't put all the blame on me, and 5ay I 5hould have been locked up. You would have been if I had been, any way.'

'Yer took the money from the till, yer know yer did,' 5aid Mr. Claypole.

'I took it for you, Noah, dear,' rejoined Charlotte.

'Did I keep it?' a5ked Mr. Claypole.

'No; you tru5ted in me, and let me carry it like a dear, and 5o you are,' 5aid the lady, chucking him under the chin, and drawing her arm through hi5.

Thi5 wa5 indeed the ca5e; but a5 it wa5 not Mr. Claypole'5 habit to repo5e a blind and fooli5h confidence in anybody, it 5hould be ob-5erved, in ju5tice to that gentleman, that he had tru5ted Charlotte to thi5 extent, in order that, if they were pur5ued, the money might be found on her: which would leave him an opportunity of a55erting hi5 innocence of any theft, and would greatly facilitate hi5 chance5 of e5cape. 0f cour5e, he entered at thi5 juncture, into no explanation of hi5 motive5, and they walked on very lovingly together.