dressed, and clinging hold of him--"All's right," said he to me, with a
satisfied air.

The oath had been taken--what it was I know not--but it was never broken.
[Note: Those conversant with the annals of Newgate, will know how
religiously the oaths of these fearful Freemasonries are kept.]

Dawson and Job went first--I followed--we passed the passage, and came to
the chamber of the sleeping Mrs. Brimstone. Job leant eagerly forward to
listen, before we entered; he took hold of Dawson's arm, and beckoning to
me to follow, stole, with a step that a blind mole would not have heard,
across the room. Carefully did the practised thief veil the candle he
carried, with his hand, as he now began to pass by the bed. I saw that
Dawson trembled like a leaf, and the palpitation of his limbs made his
step audible and heavy. Just as they had half-way passed the bed, I
turned my look on Brimstone Bess, and observed, with a shuddering thrill,
her eyes slowly open, and fix upon the forms of my companions. Dawson's
gaze had been bent in the same direction, and when he met the full,
glassy stare of the beldame's eyes, he uttered a faint scream. This
completed our danger; had it not been for that exclamation, Bess might,
in the uncertain vision of drowsiness, have passed over the third person,
and fancied it was only myself and Jonson, in our way from Dawson's
apartment; but no sooner had her ear caught the sound, than she started
up, and sat erect on her bed, gazing at us in mingled wrath and
astonishment.

That was a fearful moment--we stood rivetted to the spot! "Oh, my
kiddies," cried Bess, at last finding speech, "you are in Queer-street, I
trow! Plant your stumps, Master Guinea Pig; you are going to stall off
the Daw's baby in prime twig, eh? But Bess stags you, my cove! Bess stags