dogs　to　perfection；　and　for　the　exigence　of　escape；　his　physical　equipment
  was　complete。　　He　would　resist　capture　with　unparalleled　determination；
  and　though　he　shuddered　at　the　shedding　of　blood；　he　never　hesitated
  when　necessity　bade　him　pull　the　trigger。　　Moreover；　there　was　no　space
  into　which　he　would　not　squeeze　his　body；　and　the　iron　bars　were　not　yet
  devised　through　which　he　could　not　make　an　exit。　　Onceit　was　at
  Nottinghamhe　was　surprised　by　an　inquisitive　detective　who　demanded
  his　name　and　trade。　　‘I　am　a　hawker　of　spectacles；'　replied　Peace；　‘and
  my　licence　is　downstairs。　　Wait　two　minutes　and　I'll　show　it　you。'　　The
  detective　never　saw　him　again。　　Six　inches　only　separated　the　bars　of　the
  window；　but　Peace　asked　no　more；　and　thus　silently　he　won　his　freedom。
  True；　his　most　daring　featthe　leap　from　the　trainresulted　not　in　liberty；
  but　in　a　broken　head。　　But　he　essayed　a　task　too　high　even　for　his
  endeavour；　and；　despite　his　manacles；　at　least　he　left　his　boot　in　the
  astonished　warder's　grip。
  No　less　remarkable　than　his　skill　and　daring　were　his　means　of　evasion。
  Even　without　a　formal　disguise　he　could　elude　pursuit。　　At　an　instant's
  warning；　his　loose；　plastic　features　would　assume　another　shape；　out　shot
  his　lower　jaw；　and；　as　if　by　magic；　the　blood　flew　into　his　face　until　you
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  might　take　him　for　a　mulatto。　　Or；　if　he　chose；　he　would　strap　his　arm　to
  his　side；　and　let　the　police　be　baffled　by　a　wooden　mechanism；　decently
  finished　with　a　hook。　　Thus　he　roamed　London　up　and　down　unsuspected；
  and　even　after　his　last　failure　at　Blackheath；　none　would　have　discovered
  Charles　Peace　in　John　Ward；　the　Single…　Handed　Burglar；　had　not　woman's
  treachery　prompted　detection。　　Indeed；　he　was　an　epitome　of　his　craft；　the
  Complete　Burglar　made　manifest。
  Not　only　did　he　plan　his　victories　with　previous　ingenuity；　but　he
  sacrificed　to　his　success　both　taste　and　sentiment。　　His　dress　was　always
  of　the　most　sombre；　his　only　wear　was　the　decent　black　of　everyday
  godliness。　　The　least　spice　of　dandyism　might　have　distinguished　him
  from　his　fellows；　and　Peace's　whole　vanity　lay　in　his　craft。　　Nor　did　the
  paltry　sentiment　of　friendship　deter　him　from　his　just　course。　　When　the
  panic　aroused　by　the　silent　burglar　was　uncontrolled；　a　neighbour
  consulted　Peace　concerning　the　safety　of　his　house。　　The　robber；　having
  duly　noted　the　villa's　imperfections；　and　having　discovered　the　hiding…
  place　of　jewellery　and　plate；　complacently　rifled　it　the　next　night。
  Though　his　self…esteem　sustained　a　shock；　though　henceforth　his　friend
  thought　meanly　of　his　judgment；　he　was　rewarded　with　the　solid　pudding
  of　plunder；　and　the　world　whispered　of　the　mysterious　marauder　with　a　yet
  colder　horror。　　In　truth；　the　large　simplicity　and　solitude　of　his　style　sets
  him　among　the　Classics；　and　though　others　have　surpassed　him　at　single
  points　of　the　game；　he　practised　the　art　with　such　universal　breadth　and
  courage　as　were　then　a　revolution；　and　are　still　unsurpassed。
  But　the　burglar　ever　fights　an　unequal　battle。　　One　false　step；　and
  defeat　o'erwhelms　him。　　For　two　years　had　John　Ward　intimidated　the
  middle…class　seclusion　of　South　London；　for　two　years　had　he　hidden　from
  a　curious　world　the　ugly；　furrowed　visage　of　Charles　Peace。　　The　bald
  head；　the　broad…rimmed　spectacles；　the　squat；　thick　figurehe　stood　but
  five　feet　four　in　his　stockings；　and　adds　yet　another　to　the　list　of　little…
  great　menshould　have　ensured　detection；　but　the　quick　change　and　the
  persuasive　gesture　were　omnipotent；　and　until　the　autumn　of　1878　Peace
  was　comfortably　at　large。　　And　then　an　encounter　at　Blackheath　put　him
  within　the　clutch　of　justice。　　His　revolver　failed　in　its　duty；　and；　valiant　as
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  he　was；　at　last　he　met　his　match。　　In　prison　he　was　alternately　insolent
  and　aggrieved。　　He　blustered　for　justice；　proclaimed　himself　the　victim　of
  sudden　temptation；　and　insisted　that　his　intention　had　been　ever　innocent。
  But；　none　the　less；　he　was　sentenced　to　a　lifer；　and；　the　mask　of　John
  Ward　being　torn　from　him；　he　was　sent　to　Sheffield　to　stand　his　trial　as
  Charles　Peace。　　The　leap　from　the　train　is　already　recorded；　and　at　his　last
  appearance　in　the　dock　he　rolled　upon　the　floor；　a　petulant　and　broken　man。
  When　once　the　last　doom　was　pronounced；　he　forgot　both　fiddle　and
  crowbar；　he　surrendered　himself　to　those　exercises　of　piety　from　which　he
  had　never　wavered。　　The　foolish　have　denounced　him　for　a　hypocrite；　not
  knowing　that　the　artist　may　have　a　life　apart　from　his　art；　and　that　to　Peace
  religion　was　an　essential　pursuit。　　So　he　died；　having　released　from　an
  unjust　sentence　the　poor　wretch　who　at　Whalley　Range　had　suffered　for
  his　crime；　and　offering　up　a　consolatory　prayer　for　all　mankind。　　In　truth；
  there　was　no　enemy　for　whom　he　did　not　intercede。　　He　prayed　for　his
  gaolers；　for　his　executioner；　for　the　Ordinary；　for　his　wife；　for　Mrs。
  Thompson；　his　drunken　doxy；　and　he　went　to　his　death　with　the　sure　step
  of　one　who；　having　done　his　duty；　is　reconciled　with　the　world。　　The　mob
  testified　its　affectionate　admiration　by　dubbing　him　‘Charley；'　and
  remembered　with　effusion　his　last　grim　pleasantry。　　‘What　is　the
  scaffold？'　he　asked　with　sublime　earnestness。　　And　the　answer　came
  quick　and　sanctimonious：　　‘A　short　cut　to　Heaven！'
  III　A　PARALLEL
  A　PARALLEL　（DEACON　BRODIE　AND　CHARLES　PEACE）
  NOT　a　parallel；　but　a　contrast；　since　at　all　points　Peace　is　Brodie's
  antithesis。　　The　one　is　the　austerest　of　Classics；　caring　only　for　the
  ultimate　perfection　of　his　work。　　The　other　is　the　gayest　of　Romantics；
  happiest　when　by　the　way　he　produces　a　glittering　effect；　or　dazzles　the
  ear　by　a　vain　impertinence。　　Now；　it　is　by　thievery　that　Peace　reached
  magnificence。　　A　natural　aptitude　drove　him　from　the　fiddle　to　the　centre…
  bit。　　He　did　but　rob；　because　genius　followed　the　impulse。　　He　had
  studied　the　remotest　details　of　his　business；　he　was　sternly　professional　in
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  the　conduct　of　his　life；　and；　as　became　an　old　gaol…bird；　there　was　no　antic
  of　the　policeman　wherewith　he　was　not　familiar。　　Moreover；　not　only　had
  he　reduced　house…breaking　to　a　science；　but；　being　ostensibly　nothing
  better　than　a　picture…　frame　maker；　he　had　invented　an　incomparable　set　of
  tools　wherewith　to　enter　and　evade　his　neighbour's　house。　　Brodie；　on　the
  other　hand；　was　a　thief　for　distraction。　　His　method　was　as　slovenly　as
  ignorance　could　make　it。　　Though　by　trade　a　wright；　and　therefore　a
  master　of　all　the　arts　of　joinery；　he　was　so　deficient　in　seriousness　that　he
  stole　a　coulter　wherewith　to　batter　the　walls　of　the　Excise　Office。　　While
  Peace　fought　the　battle　in　solitude；　Brodie　was　not　only　attended　by　a　gang；
  but　listened　to　the　command　of　his　subordinates；　and　was　never　permitted
  to　perform　a　more　intricate　duty　than　the　sounding　of　the　alarm。　　And　yet
  here　is　the　ironical　contrast。　　Peace；　the　professional　thief；　despised　his
  brothers；　and　was　never　heard　to　patter　a　word　of　flash。　　Brodie；　the
  amateur；　courted　the　society　of　all　cross　coves；　and　would　rather　express
  himself　in　Pedlar's　French　than　in　his　choicest　Scots。　　While　the
  Englishman　scraped　Tate　and　Brady　from　a　one…stringed　fiddle；　the　Scot
  limped　a　chaunt　from　The　Beggar's　Opera；　and　thought　himself　a　devil　of　a
  fellow。　　The　one　was　a　man　about　town　masquerading　as　a　thief；　the　other
  the　most　serious　among　housebreakers；　singing　psalms　in　all　good　faith。
  But　if　Peace　was　incomparably　the　better　craftsman；　Brodie　was　the
  prettier　gentleman。　　Peace　would　not　have　permitted　Brodie　to　drive　his
  pony…trap　the　length　of　Evelina　Road。　　But　Brodie；　in　revenge；　would
  have　cut　Peace　had　he　met　him　in　the　Corn…market。　　The　one　was　a
  sombre　savage；　the　other　a　jovial　comrade；　and　it　was　a　witty　freak　of
  fortune　that　impelled　both　to　follow　the　same　trade。　　And　thus　you　arrive
  at　another　point　of　difference。　　The　Englishman　had　no　intelligence　of
  life's　amenity。　　He　knew　naught　of　costume：　clothes　were　the　limit　of　his
  ambition。　　Dressed　always　for　work；　he　was　like　the　caterpillar　which
  assumes　the　green　of　the　leaf；　wherein　it　hides：　he　wore　only　such　duds　as
  should　attract　the　smallest　notice；　and　separate　him　as　far　as　might　be　from
  his　business。　　But　the　Scot　was　as　fine　a　dandy　as　ever　took　（haphazard）
  to　the　cracking　of　kens。　　If　his　refinement　permitted　no　excess　of
  splendour；　he　went　ever　gloriously　and　appropriately　apparelled。　　He　was
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  well…mannered；　cultured；　with　scarce　a　touch　of　provincialism　to　mar　his
  gay　demeanour：　whereas　Peace　knew　little　enough　outside　the　practi