GOES TO RETURN THE BILLS.

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Why, says he, they told me that he had left word at the clerk's place in the long-room, that he would give 30l. to any one that had the bills, and would restore them, and would ask no questions. Now, if you will go, like a poor innocent boy, as you are, into the long-room, and speak to the clerk, it may do; tell him, if the gentleman will do as he promised, you believe you can tell him who has it; and if they are civil to you, and willing to be as good as their words, you shall have the letter-case, and give it them.

I told him, Ay, I would go with all my heart. But, Colonel Jack, says he, what if they should take hold of you, and threaten to have you whipped, won't you discover me to them? No, says I, if they would whip me to death I won't. Well, then, says he, there's the letter-case, do you go. So he gave me directions how to act, and what to say; but I would not take the letter-case with me, lest they should prove false, and take hold of me, thinking to find it upon me, and so charge me with the fact; so I left it with him, and the next morning I went to the custom-house, as was agreed; what my directions were, will, to avoid repetition, appear in what happened; it was an errand of too much consequence indeed to be entrusted to a boy, not only so young as I was, but so little of a rogue as I was yet arrived to the degree of.

Two things I was particularly armed with, which I resolved upon: 1. That the man should have his bills again; for it seemed a horrible thing to me that he should be made to lose his money, which I supposed he must, purely because we would not carry the letter-case home. 2. That whatever happened to me, I was never to tell the name of my comrade Robin, who had been the principal. With these two pieces of honesty, for such they were both in themselves, and with a manly heart, though a boy's head, I went up into the longroom in the custom-house the next day.

As soon as I came to the place where the thing was done, I saw the man sit just where he had sat before, and it run in my head that he had sat there ever since; but I knew no better; so I went up, and stood just at that side of the writing-board, that goes upon that side of the room, and which I was but just tall enough to lay my arms upon.

While I stood there, one thrust me this way, and another thrust me that way, and the man that sat behind began to

look at me; at last he called out to me; What does that boy do there? get you gone, sirrah; are you one of the rogues that stole the gentleman's letter-case on Monday last? Then he turns his tale to a gentleman that was doing business with him, and goes on thus: Here was Mr. had a very unlucky chance on Monday last, did not you hear of it? No, not I, says the gentleman. Why, standing just there, where you do, says he, making his entries, he pulled out his letter-case, and laid it down, as he says, but just at his hand, while he reached over to the standish there for a penful of ink, and somebody stole away his letter-case.

His letter-case! says t'other, what, and was there any bills in it?

Ay, says he, there was Sir Stephen Evans's note in it for 300%, and another goldsmith's bill for about 127., and which is worse still for the gentleman, he had two foreign accepted bills in it for a great sum, I know not how much, I think one was a French bill for 1200 crowns.

And who could it be? says the gentleman.

Nobody knows, says he, but one of our room-keepers says, he saw a couple of young rogues like that, pointing at me, hanging about here, and that on a sudden they were both gone.

Villains! says he again; why, what can they do with them, they will be of no use to them? I suppose he went immediately, and gave notice to prevent the payment.

Yes, says the clerk, he did; but the rogues were too nimble for him with the little bill of 127. odd money; they went and got the money for that, but all the rest are stopped; however, 'tis an unspeakable damage to him for want of his money.

Why, he should publish a reward for the encouragement of those that have them to bring them again; they would be glad to bring them, I warrant you.

He has posted it up at the door, that he will give 301. for them.

Ay, but he should add, that he will promise not to stop, or give any trouble to the person that brings them.

He has done that too, says he, but I fear they won't trust themselves to be honest, for fear he should break his word.

Why? it is true, he may break his word in that case, but no man should do so; for then no rogue will venture to

QUESTIONED CONCERNING THE LETTER-CASE.

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bring home anything that is stolen, and so he would do an injury to others after him.

I durst pawn my life for him, he would scorn it.

CHAPTER III.

I AM EXAMINED BY THE GENTLEMAN TOUCHING THE BILLS AND LETTER-CASE, AND OBTAIN THE REWARD OF 301.ONE OF THEM KINDLY TAKES CHARGE OF THE MONEY FOR ME-WE COMMIT MORE THEFTS-MY COMRADE PURCHASES BETTER CLOTHES FOR MEI ROB A JEW OF HIS POCKET-BOOK FULL OF BILLS AND DIAMONDS-WILL AGREES FOR A REWARD TO GIVE UP THE PROPERTY.

THUS far they discoursed of it, and then went off to something else. I heard it all, but did not know what to do a great while; but at last, watching the gentleman that went away, when he was gone, I run after him to have spoken to him, intending to have broke it to him, but he went hastily into a room or two, full of people, at the hither end of the long-room; and when I went to follow, the doorkeepers turned me back, and told me, I must not go in there; so I went back, and loitered about, near the man that sat behind the board, and hung about there till I found the clock struck twelve, and the room began to be thin of people; and at last he sat there writing, but nobody stood at the board before him, as there had all the rest of the morning; then I came a little nearer, and stood close to the board, as I did before; when, looking up from his paper, and seeing me, says he to me, You have been up and down there all this morning, sirrah, what do you want? you have some business that is not very good, I doubt.

No, I han't, said I.

No? it is well if you han't, says he; pray what business can you have in the long-room, sir; you are no merchant? I would speak with you, said I.

With me, says he, what have you to say to me?

I have something to say, said I, if you will do me no harm for it.

I do thee harm, child, what harm should I do thee? and spoke very kindly.

Won't you indeed, sir? said I.

No, not I, child; I'll do thee no harm; what is it? do you know anything of the gentleman's letter-case?

I answered, but spoke softly, that he could not hear me : so he gets over presently into the seat next him, and opens a place that was made to come out, and bade me come in to him; and I did.

Then he asked me again, if I knew anything of the letter

case.

I spoke softly again, and said, Folks would hear him.
Then he whispered softly, and asked me again.

I told him, I believed I did; but that, indeed I had it not, nor had no hand in stealing it, but it was gotten into the hands of a boy that would have burnt it, if it had not been for me; and that I heard him say, that the gentleman would be glad to have them again, and give a good deal of money for them.

I did say so, child, said he, and if you can get them for him, he shall give you a good reward, no less than 30%. as he has promised.

But you said too, sir, to the gentleman just now, said I, that you was sure he would not bring them into any harm, that should bring them.

No, you shall come to no harm; I will pass my word for it. Boy. Nor shan't they make me bring other people into trouble?

Gent. No, you shall not be asked the name of anybody, nor to tell who they are.

Boy. I am but a poor boy, and I would fain have the gentleman have his bills, and indeed I did not take them away, nor I han't got them.

Gent. But can you tell how the gentleman shall have them?

Boy. If I can get them, I will bring them to you to-morrow morning.

Gent. Can you not do it to-night?

Boy. I believe I may if I knew where to come.

Gent. Come to my house, child.

Boy. I don't know where

you live.

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291

Gent. Go along with me now, and you shall see. So he carried me up into Tower-street, and showed me his house, and ordered me to come there at five o'clock at night; which accordingly I did, and carried the letter-case with me.

When I came, the gentleman asked me it I had brought the book, as he called it.

It is not a book, said I.

No, the letter-case, that's all one, says he.

You promised me, said I, you would not hurt me, and cried.

Don't be afraid, child, says he, I will not hurt thee, poor boy; nobody shall hurt thee.

Here it is, said I, and pulled it out.

He then brought in another gentleman, who it seems owned the letter-case, and asked him, If that was it? and he said, Yes.

Then he asked me if all the bills were in it?

I told him, I heard him say there was one gone, but I believed there was all the rest.

Why do

you believe so? says he.

Because I heard the boy that I believe stole them, say, they were too big for him to meddle with.

The gentleman, then, that owned them, said, Where is the boy?

Then the other gentleman put in, and said, No, you must not ask him that; I passed my word that you should not, and that he should not be obliged to tell it to anybody.

Well, child, says he, you will let us see the letter-case opened, and whether the bills are in it?

Yes, says I.

Then the first gentleman said, How many bills were there in it?

Only three, says he, besides the bill of 127. 10s.; there was Sir Stephen Evans's note for 300l. and two foreign bills. Well, then, if they are in the letter-case, the boy shall have 307., shall he not? Yes, says the gentleman, he shall have it freely.

Come then, child, says he, let me open it.

So I gave it him, and he opened it, and there were all three bills, and several other papers, fair and safe, nothing defaced or diminished, and the gentleman said, All is right.