It was easy enough to perceive the tail of my friend waving over the crowd; but grief and apprehension had already rendered his countenance so rueful, that, at the first glance, I did not recognize his head.

He was, however, still in the body; for, luckily for himself, and more especially for the success of his principal counsel, the gravity of his crimes had rendered unusual preparations necessary for the execution.

As the mandate of the court had not yet arrived--justice being as prompt in Leaphigh as her ministers are dilatory--two blocks were prepared, and the culprit was about to get down on his hands and knees between them, just as I forced my way through the crowd to his side.
"Ah! Sir John, this is an awful predicament!" exclaimed the rebuked Noah; "a ra'ally awful situation for a human Christian to have his enemies lying athwart both bows and starn!" "While there is life there is hope; but it is always best to be prepared for the worst--he who is thus prepared never can meet with a disagreeable surprise.Messrs.

Executioners"-- for there were two, that of the king, and that of the queen, or one at each end of the unhappy criminal--"Messrs.

Executioners, I pray you to give the culprit a moment to arrange his thoughts, and to communicate his last requests in behalf of his distant family and friends!" To this reasonable petition neither of the higher functionaries of the law made any objection, although both insisted if they did not forthwith bring the culprit to the last stages of preparation, they might lose their places.