'Go for another meal-bag,' said he, to the servant. 'Now, madam, you shall keep company with the bagged poet.'
'Mercy, mercy!' cried I, 'What, will no one help me?'
'I will if I can!' exclaimed Higginson, with his head thrust out of the bag, like a snail; and down he slided from his seat, and began rolling, and tumbling, and struggling on the floor, till he got upon his feet; and then he came jumping towards me, now falling now rising, while his face and bald forehead were all over meal, his eyes blaring, and his mouth wide open. The company, wherever he moved, kept in a circle round him, and clapped their hands and shouted.
As I stood, with Betterton still holding me fast, he was suddenly flung from me by some one, and my hand seized. I turned, and beheld—Stuart. 'Oh! bless you, bless you!' cried I, catching his arm, 'for you have come to save me from destruction!'
He pressed my hand, and pointing to Betterton and Grundy, who stood thunderstruck, cried, 'There are your men!'
A large posse of constables immediately rushed forward, and arrested them.
'Heydey! what is all this?' cried Betterton.
''Tis for the beating you gave us when we were doing our duty,' said a man, and I recognised in the speaker one of the police-men who had arrested me about the barouche.
'This is government all over,' cried Betterton. 'This is the minister. This is the law!'
'And let me tell you, Sir,' said Stuart, 'that nothing but my respect for the law deters me at this moment from chastising you as you deserve.'