Well, we lay close in the grass in the middle of the quarter, so that nobody minded us; and so we opened the pocket-book, and there was a great many bills and notes under men's hands; some goldsmiths', and some belonging to insurance offices, as they call them, and the like; but that which was it seems worth all the rest was that in one of the folds of the cover of the book, where there was a case with several partitions, there was a paper full of loose diamonds. The man, as we understood afterward, was a Jew, who dealt in such goods, and who indeed ought to have taken more care of the keeping of them. Now was this booty too great, even for Will himself, to manage; for though by this time I was come to understand things better than I did formerly, when I knew not what belonged to money; yet Will was better skilled by far in those things than I. But this puzzled him too, as well as me. Now were we something like the cock in the fable; for all these bills, and I think there was one bill of Sir Henry Furness's for 12007., and all these diamonds, which were worth about 150l., as they said; I say, all these things were of no value to us, one little purse of gold would have been better to us than all of it. But come, says Will, let us look over the bills for a little one. We looked over all the bills, and, among them, we found a bill under a man's hand for 321.; Come, says Will, let us go and inquire where this man lives. So he went into the city again, and Will went to the post-house, and asked there; they told him he lived at Temple-bar: Well, says Will, I will venture, I'll go and receive the money; it may be he has not remembered to send to stop the payment there. But it came into his thoughts to take another course; Come, says Will, I'll go back to the alley, and see if I can hear anything of what has happened, for I believe the hurry is not over yet. It seems the man, who lost the book, was carried into the King's-head tavern, at the end of that alley, and a great crowd was about the door. Away goes Will, and watches and waits about the place; and then, seeing several people together, for they were not all dispersed, he asks one or two what was the matter; they tell him a long story of a gentleman who had lost his pocketbook, with a great bag of diamonds in it, and bills for a great ENGAGES TO RECOVER THE POCKET-BOOK. 303 many thousand pounds, and I know not what ; and that they had been just crying it, and had offered 1007. reward to any one who would discover and restore it. I wish, said he, to one of them that parleyed with him, I did but know who has it, I don't doubt but I could help him to it again; does he remember nothing of anybody, boy, or fellow, that was near him? if he could but describe him, it might do. Somebody that overheard him was so forward to assist the poor gentleman, that they went up and let him know what a young fellow, meaning Will, had been talking at the door; and down comes another gentleman from him, and, taking Will aside, asked him what he had said about it? Will was a grave sort of a young man, that, though he was an old soldier at the trade, had yet nothing of it in his countenance; and he answered, that he was concerned in business where a great many of the gangs of little pickpockets haunted, and if he had but the least description of the person they suspected, he durst say he could find him out, and might perhaps get the things again for him. Upon this, he desired him to go up with him to the gentleman, which he did accordingly; and there, he said, he sat leaning his head back to the chair, pale as a cloth; disconsolate to a strange degree, and, as Will described him, just like one under a sentence. When they came to ask him, whether he had seen no boy, or shabby fellow, lurking near where he stood, or passing, or repassing, and the like, he answered, No, not any; neither could he remember that anybody had come near him. Then, said Will, it will be very hard, if not impossible, to find them out. However, said Will, if you think it worth while, I will put myself among those rogues, though, says he, I care not for being seen among them; but I will put in among them, and if it be in any of those gangs, it is ten to one but I shall hear something of it. They asked him then, if he had heard what terms the gentleman had offered to have it restored; he answered, No (though he had been told at the door); they answered, He had offered 1007. That is too much, says Will; but if you please to leave it to me, I shall either get it for you for less than that, or not be able to get it for you at all. Then the losing gentleman said to one of the other, Tell him, that if he can get it lower, the overplus shall be to himself. William said, He would be very glad to do the gentleman such a service, and would leave the reward to himself. Well, young man, says one of the gentlemen, whatever you appoint to the young artist that has done this roguery (for I warrant he is an artist, let it be who it will), he shall be paid, if it be within the 100l., and the gentleman is willing to give you 501. besides for your pains. Truly, sir, says Will, very gravely, it was by mere chance, that, coming by the door, and seeing the crowd, I asked what the matter was? but if I should be instrumental to get the unfortunate gentleman his pocket-book, and the things in it again, I shall be very glad; nor am I so rich neither, sir, but 501. is very well worth my while too. Then he took directions who to come to, and who to give his account to if he learned anything, and the like. CHAPTER IV. WILL RETURNS THE POCKET-BOOK AND OBTAINS THE RE- AND If WILL stayed so long, that, as he and I agreed, I went home, and he did not come to me till night; for we had considered before, that it would not be proper to come from them directly to me, lest they should follow him and apprehend me. he had made no advances towards a treaty, he would have come back in half an hour, as we agreed; but staying late, we met at our night rendezvous, which was in Rosemarylane. When he came, he gave an account of all the discourse, and particularly what a consternation the gentleman was in who lost the pocket-book, and that he did not doubt but we should get a good round sum for the recovery of it. We consulted all the evening about it, and concluded he should let them hear nothing of them the next day at all; ACCEPTATION OF HIS OFFER. 305 and that the third day he should go, but should make no discovery, only that he had got a scent of it, and that he believed he should have it, and make it appear as difficult as possible, and to start as many objections as he could. Accordingly, the third day after he met with the gentleman, who he found had been uneasy at his long stay, and told him, they were afraid that he only flattered them to get from them; and that they had been too easy in letting him go without a farther examination. He took upon him to be very grave with them, and told them, That if that was what he was like to have for being so free as to tell them he thought he might serve them, they might see that they had wronged him, and were mistaken by his coming again to them; that if they thought they could do anything by examining him, they might go about it, if they pleased, now; that all he had to say to them was, that he knew where some of the young rogues haunted, who were famous for such things; and that by some inquiries, offering them money, and the like, he believed they would be brought to betray one another, and that so he might pick it out for them; and this he would say before a justice of peace, if they thought fit; and then all that he had to say farther to them, was, to tell them, he had lost a day or two in their service, and had got nothing, but to be suspected for his pains; and that after that he had done, and they might seek their goods where they could find them. They began to listen a little upon that, and asked him, if he could give them any hopes of recovering their loss; he told them, that he was not afraid to tell them that he believed he had heard some news of them, and that what he had done, had prevented all the bills being burnt, book and all; but that now he ought not to be asked any more questions till they should be pleased to answer him a question or two. They told him they would give him any satisfaction they could, and bid him tell what he desired. Why, sir, says he, how can you expect any thief that had robbed you to such a considerable value as this, would come and put himself into your hands, confess he had your goods, and restore them to you, if you do not give them assurance that you will not only give them the reward you agreed to, but also give assurance that they shall not be stopped, questioned, or called to account before a magistrate? They said they would give all possible assurance of it. Nay, says he, I do not know what assurance you are able to give; for when a poor fellow is in your clutches, and has shown you your goods, you may seize upon him for a thief, and it is plain he must be so; then you go, take away your goods, send him to prison, and what amends can he have of you afterward? They were entirely confounded with the difficulty; they asked him to try if he could get the things into his hands, and they would pay him the money before he let them go out of his hand, and he should go away half an hour before they went out of the room. No, gentlemen, says he, that won't do now. If you had talked so before you had talked of apprehending me for nothing, I should have taken your words; but now it is plain you have had such a thought in your heads, and how can I, or any one else, be assured of safety? Well, they thought of a great many particulars, but nothing would do; at length the other people who were present put in, that they should give security to him, by a bond of 1000%., that they would not give the person any trouble whatsoever. He pretended they could not be bound, nor could their obligation be of any value, and that their own goods being once seen, they might seize them; and what would it signify, said he, to put a poor pickpocket to sue for his reward? They could not tell what to say: but told him, that he should take the things of the boy, if it was a boy; and they would be bound to pay him the money promised. He laughed at them, and said, No, gentlemen, as I am not the thief, so I shall be very loath to put myself in the thief's stead, and lie at your mercy. They told him they knew not what to do then, and that it would be very hard he would not trust them at all. He said, he was very willing to trust them, and to serve them; but that it would be very hard to be ruined and charged with the theft, for endeavouring to serve them. They then offered to give it him under their hands, that they did not in the least suspect him; that they would never charge him with anything about it; that they acknowledged he went about to inquire after the goods at their request; and that if he produced them, they would pay him so much money, at or before the delivery of them, without obliging him to name or produce that person he had them from. |