use　me　genteelly；　they　only　hold　up　a　finger；　beckon　me；　and　I　follow　as
  quietly　as　a　lamb。　　But　you　bluster　and　insult；　as　though　you　had　never
  dealings　with　gentlemen。''　　Poor　Jack；　he　was　of　a　proud　stomach；　and
  could　not　abide　interference；　yet　they　would　never　let　him　go　free。　　And
  he　would　have　been　so　happy　had　he　been　allowed　his　own　way。　　To　pull
  out　a　rusty　pistol　now　and　again；　and　to　take　a　purse　from　a　traveller
  surely　these　were　innocent　pleasures；　and　he　never　meant　to　hurt　a　fellow…
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  creature。　　But　for　all　his　kindness　of　heart；　for　all　his　love　of　splendour
  and　fine　clothes；　they　took　him　at　last。
  ‘And　this　time；　too；　it　was　a　watch　which　was　our　ruin。　　How　often
  did　I　warn　him：　　‘‘Jack；''　I　would　say；　‘‘take　all　the　money　you　can。
  Guineas　tell　no　tale。　　But　leave　the　watches　in　their　owners'　fobs。''　　Alas！
  he　did　not　heed　my　words；　and　the　last　man　he　ever　stopped　on　the　road
  was　that　pompous　rascal；　Dr。　Bell；　then　chaplain　to　the　Princess　Amelia。
  ‘‘Give　me　your　money；''　screamed　Jack；　‘‘and　take　no　notice　or　I'll　blow
  your　brains　out。''　　And　the　doctor　gave　him　all　that　he　had；　the　mean…
  spirited　devil…dodger；　and　it　was　no　more　than　eighteenpence。　　Now　what
  should　a　man　of　courage　do　with　eighteenpence？　　So　poor　Jack　was
  forced　to　seize　the　parson's　watch　and　trinkets　as　well；　and　thus　it　was　that
  a　second　time　we　faced　the　Blind　Beak。
  When　Jack　brought　home　the　watch；　I　was　seized　with　a　shuddering
  presentiment；　and　I　would　have　given　the　world　to　throw　it　out　of　the
  window。　　But　I　could　not　bear　to　see　him　pinched　with　hunger；　and　he
  had　already　tossed　the　doctor's　eighteenpence　to　a　beggar　woman。　　So　I
  trudged　off　to　the　pawnbroker's；　to　get　what　price　I　could；　and　I　bethought
  me　that　none　would　know　me　for　what　I　was　so　far　away　as　Oxford　Street。
  But　the　monster　behind　the　counter　had　a　quick　suspicion；　though　I　swear　I
  looked　as　innocent　as　a　babe；　he　discovered　the　owner　of　the　watch；　and
  infamously　followed　me　to　my　house。
  ‘The　next　day　we　were　both　arrested；　and　once　more　we　stood　in　the
  hot；　stifling　Court　of　the　Old　Bailey。　　Jack　was　radiant　as　ever；　the　one
  spot　of　colour　and　gaiety　in　that　close；　sodden　atmosphere。　　When　we
  were　taken　from　Bow　Street　a　thousand　people　formed　our　guard　of
  honour；　and　for　a　month　we　were　the　twin　wonders　of　London。　　The
  lightest　word；　the　fleetest　smile　of　the　renowned　highwayman；　threw　the
  world　into　a　fit　of　excitement；　and　a　glimpse　of　Rann　was　worth　a　king's
  ransom。　　I　could　look　upon　him　all　day　for　nothing！　　And　I　knew　what　a
  fever　of　fear　throbbed　behind　his　mask　of　happy　contempt。　　Yet　bravely
  he　played　the　part　unto　the　very　end。　　If　the　toasts　of　London　were
  determined　to　gaze　at　him；　he　assured　them　they　should　have　a　proper
  salve　for　their　eyes。　　So　he　dressed　himself　as　a　light…hearted　sportsman。
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  His　coat　and　waistcoat　were　of　pea…　green　cloth；　his　buckskin　breeches
  were　spotlessly　new；　and　all　tricked　out　with　the　famous　strings；　his　hat
  was　bound　round　with　silver　cords；　and　even　the　ushers　of　the　Court　were
  touched　to　courtesy。　　He　would　whisper　to　me；　as　we　stood　in　the　dock；
  ‘‘Cheer　up；　my　girl。　　I　have　ordered　the　best　supper　that　Covent　Garden
  can　provide；　and　we　will　make　merry　to…night　when　this　foolish　old　judge
  has　done　his　duty。''　　The　supper　was　never　eaten。　　Through　the　weary
  afternoon　we　waited　for　acquittal。　　The　autumn　sun　sank　in　hopeless
  gloom。　　The　wretched　lamps　twinkled　through　the　jaded　air　of　the　court…
  house。　　In　an　hour　I　lived　a　thousand　years　of　misery；　and　when　the
  sentence　was　read；　the　words　carried　no　sense　to　my　withered　brain。　　It
  was　only　in　my　cell　I　realised　that　I　had　seen　Jack　Rann　for　the　last　time；
  that　his　pea…green　coat　would　prove　a　final　and　ineffaceable　memory。
  ‘Alas！　I；　who　had　never　been　married；　was　already　a　hempen　widow；
  but　I　was　too　hopelessly　heartbroken　for　my　lover's　fate　to　think　of　my
  own　paltry　hardship。　　I　never　saw　him　again。　　They　told　me　that　he
  suffered　at　Tyburn　like　a　man；　and　that　he　counted　upon　a　rescue　to　the
  very　end。　　They　told　me　（still　bitterer　news　to　hear）　that　two　days　before
  his　death　he　entertained　seven　women　at　supper；　and　was　in　the　wildest
  humour。　　This　almost　broke　my　heart；　it　was　an　infidelity　committed　on
  the　other　side　of　the　grave。　　But；　poor　Jack；　he　was　a　good　lad；　and　loved
  me　more　than　them　all；　though　he　never　could　be　faithful　to　me。'　　And
  thus；　bidding　the　drawer　bring　fresh　glasses；　Ellen　Roach　would　end　her
  story。　　Though　she　had　told　it　a　hundred　times；　at　the　last　words　a　tear
  always　sparkled　in　her　eye。　　She　lived　without　friend　and　without　lover；
  faithful　to　the　memory　of　Sixteen…　String　Jack；　who　for　her　was　the　only
  reality　in　the　world　of　shades。　　Her　middle…age　was　as　distant　as　her
  youth。　　The　dressmaker's　in　Oxford　Street　was　as　vague　a　dream　as　the
  inhospitable　shore　of　Botany　Bay。　　So　she　waited　on　to　a　weary　eld；
  proud　of　the　‘Green　Pig's'　well…ordered　comfort；　prouder　still　that　for　two
  years　she　shared　the　glory　of　Jack　Rann；　and　that　she　did　not　desert　her
  hero；　even　in　his　punishment。
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  III　A　PARALLEL
  THEIR　closest　parallel　is　the　notoriety　which　dogged　them　from　the
  very　day　of　their　death。　　Each；　for　his　own　exploits；　was　the　most　famous
  man　of　his　time；　the　favourite　of　broadsides；　the　prime　hero　of　the　ballad…
  mongers。　　And　each　owed　his　fame　as　much　to　good　fortune　as　to　merit；
  since　both　were　excelled　in　their　generation　by　more　skilful　scoundrels。
  If　Gilderoy　was　unsurpassed　in　brutality；　he　fell　immeasurably　below　Hind
  in　artistry　and　wit；　nor　may　he　be　compared　to　such　accomplished
  highwaymen　as　Mull　Sack　or　the　Golden　Farmer。　　His　method　was　not
  elevated　by　a　touch　of　the　grand　style。　　He　stamped　all　the　rules　of　the
  road　beneath　his　contemptuous　foot；　and　cared　not　what　enormity　he
  committed　in　his　quest　for　gold。　　Yet；　though　he　lived　in　the　true
  Augustan　age；　he　yielded　to　no　one　of　his　rivals　in　glorious　recognition。
  So；　too；　Jack　Rann；　of　the　Sixteen　Strings；　was　a　near　contemporary　of
  George　Barrington。　　While　that　nimble…fingered　prig　was　making　a
  brilliant　appearance　at　Vauxhall；　and　emptying　the　pockets　of　his　intimates；
  Rann　was　riding　over　Hounslow　Heath；　and　flashing　his　pistol　in　the　eye
  of　the　wayfarer。　　The　very　year　in　which　Jack　danced　his　last　jig　at
  Tyburn；　Barrington　had　astonished　London　by　a　fruitless　attempt　to　steal
  Prince　Orloff's　miraculous　snuff…　box。　　And　not　even　Ellen　Roach　herself
  would　have　dared　to　assert　that　Rann　was　Barrington's　equal　in　sleight　of
  hand。　　But　Rann　holds　his　own　against　the　best　of　his　craft；　with　an
  imperishable　name；　while　a　host　of　more　distinguished　cracksmen　are
  excluded　even　from　the　Newgate　Calendar。
  In　truth；　there　is　one　quality　which　has　naught　to　do　with　artistic
  supremacy；　and　in　this　quality　both　Rann　and　Gilderoy　were　rich　beyond
  their　fellows。　　They　knew　（none　better）　how　to　impose　upon　the　world。
  Had　their　deserts　been　even　less　than　they　were；　they　would　still　have　been
  bravely　notorious。　　It　is　a　common　superstition　that　the　talent　for
  advertisement　has　but　a　transitory　effect；　that　time　sets　all　men　in　their
  proper　places。
  Nothing　can　be　more　false；　for　he　who　has　once　declared　himself
  among　the　great　ones　of　the　earth；　not　only　holds　his　position　while　he
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  lives；　but　forces　an　unreasoning　admiration　upon　the　future。　　Though　he
  declines　from　the　lofty　throne；　whereon　his　own　vanity　and　love　of　praise
  have　set　him；　he　still　stands　above　the　modest　level　which　contents　the
  genuinely　great。　　Why　does　Euripides　still　throw　a　shadow　upon　the
  worthier　poets　of　his　time？　　Because　he　had　the　faculty　of　displacement；
  because　he　could　compel　the　world　to　profess　an　interest　not　only　in　his
  work　but　in　himself。　　Why　is　Michael　Angelo　a　loftier　figure　in　the
  history　of　art　than　Donatello；　the　supreme　sculptor　of　his　time？　　Because
  Donatello　had　not　the　temper　which　would　bully　a　hundred　popes；　and
  extract　a　magnificent　advertisement　from　each　encounter。　　Why　does
  Shelley　still　claim　a　larger　share　of　the　world's　admiration　than　Keats；　his
  indubitable　superior？　　Because　Shelley　was　blessed　or　cursed　with　the
  trick　of　interesting　the　world　by　the　accidents　of　his　life。
  So　by　a　similar　faculty　Gilderoy　and　Jack　Rann　have　kept　themselves
  and　their　achievements　in　the　light　of　day。　　Had　they　lived　in　the
  nineteenth　century　they　might　have　been　the　vendors　of　patent　pills；　or　the
  chairmen　of　bubble　companies。　　Whatever　trade　t