Thestillnessoftheemptyhousewasonlybrokenbythehabituallysubduedvoicesofthechildrenattheirplay，whensuddenlytheharshstrokeofadistantbellcamethroughtheopenwindow。ButitwasnoSabbathbell，andMr。Breezeknewit。ItwasthetocsinoftheVigilanceCommittee，summoningthememberstoassembleattheirquartersforacapture，atrial，oranexecutionofsomewrongdoer。Tohimitwasequallyasummonstotheoffice——todistastefulnewsandexcitement。
Hethrewhisproofsasideindisgust，laiddownhispen，seizedhishat，andpausedamomenttolookroundforhisplaymates。Buttheyweregone！Hewentintothehall，lookedintotheopendooroftheirroom，buttheywerenotthere。Hetriedthedoorofthesecondroom，butitwaslocked。
Satisfiedthattheyhadstolendownstairsintheireagernesstoknowwhatthebellmeant，hehurrieddownalso，metRobertsinthepassage，——asingularlyunusualcircumstanceatthathour，——calledtohimtolookaftertherunaways，andhurriedtohisoffice。
Herehefoundthestaffcollected，excitedlydiscussingthenews。
OneoftheVigilanceCommitteeprisoners，anotoriousbullyandruffian，detainedasacriminalandawitness，hadcommittedsuicideinhiscell。Fortunatelythiswasallreportorialwork，andtheservicesofMr。Breezewerenotrequired。Hehurriedback，relieved，tohisroom。