"It's no gammon," said Ginger. "Look at them ears, miss--vy, they're as
long as your own ringlets--and them pads--an' I'm sure you von't say
she's dear at twenty pound." "She's a lovely little creature, indeed," returned Ebba, again patting
the animal's head. While this was passing, two men of very suspicious mien, ensconced
behind a pillar adjoining the group, were reconnoitring Auriol. "It's him!" whispered the taller and darker of the two to his
companion--"it's the young man ve've been lookin' for--Auriol Darcy." "It seems like him," said the other, edging round the pillar as far as
he could without exposure. "I vish he'd turn his face a leetle more this
vay." "It's him, I tell you, Sandman," said the Tinker. "Ve must give the
signal to our comrade." "Vell, I'll tell you wot it is, miss," said Ginger coaxingly, "your
sveet'art--I'm sure he's your sveet'art--I can tell these things in a
minnit--your sveet'art, I say, shall give me fifteen pound, and the
dog's yourn. I shall lose five pound by the transaction; but I don't
mind it for sich a customer as you. Fairy desarves a kind missus." Auriol, who had fallen into a fit of abstraction, here remarked:

"What's that you are saying, fellow?" "I vos a-sayin', sir, the young lady shall have the dog for fifteen
pound, and a precious bargin it is," replied Ginger. "Well, then, I close with you. Here's the money," said Auriol, taking
out his purse. "On no account, Auriol," cried Ebba quickly. "It's too much." "A great deal too much, Mr. Darcy," said Thorneycroft. "Auriol and Darcy!" muttered Ginger. "Can this be the gemman ve're
a-lookin' for. Vere's my two pals, I vonder? Oh, it's all right!" he
added, receiving a signal from behind the pillar. "They're on the
look-out, I see." "Give the lady the dog, and take the money, man," said Auriol sharply. "Beg pardon, sir," said Ginger, "but hadn't I better carry the dog home
for the young lady? It might meet vith some accident in the vay." "Accident!--stuff and nonsense!" cried Mr. Thorneycroft. "The rascal
only wants to follow you home, that he may know where you live, and
steal the dog back again. Take my advice, Mr. Darcy, and don't buy it." "The bargain's concluded," said Ginger, delivering the dog to Ebba, and
taking the money from Auriol, which, having counted, he thrust into his
capacious breeches pocket. "How shall I thank you for this treasure, Auriol?" exclaimed Ebba, in an
ecstasy of delight. "By transferring to it all regard you may entertain for me," he replied,
in a low tone. "That is impossible," she answered. "Well, I vote we drive away at once," said Mr. Thorneycroft. "Halloa! jarvey!" he cried, hailing a coach that was passing; adding, as the
vehicle stopped, "Now get in, Ebba. By this means we shall avoid being
followed by the rascal." So saying, he got into the coach. As Auriol was about to follow him, he
felt a slight touch on his arm, and, turning, beheld a tall and very
forbidding man by his side. "Beg pardin, sir," said the fellow, touching his hat, "but ain't your
name Mr. Auriol Darcy?" "It is," replied Auriol, regarding him fixedly. "Why do you ask?" "I vants a vord or two vith you in private--that's all, sir," replied
the Tinker. "Say what you have to say at once," rejoined Auriol. "I know nothing of
you." "You'll know me better by-and-by, sir," said the Tinker, in a
significant tone. "I _must_ speak to you, and alone." "If you don't go about your business, fellow, instantly, I'll give you
in charge of the police," cried Auriol. "No, you von't, sir--no, you von't," replied the Tinker, shaking his
head. And then, lowering his voice, he added, "You'll be glad to
purchase my silence ven you larns wot secrets o' yourn has come to my
knowledge." "Won't you get in, Mr. Darcy?" cried Thorneycroft, whose back was
towards the Tinker. "I must speak to this man," replied Auriol. "I'll come to you in the
evening. Till then, farewell, Ebba." And, as the coach drove away, he
added to the Tinker, "Now, rascal, what have you to say?" "Step this vay, sir," replied the Tinker. "There's two friends o' mine
as vishes to be present at our conference. Ve'd better valk into a back
street." CHAPTER VII

THE HAND AGAIN! Followed by Auriol, who, in his turn, was followed by Ginger and the
Sandman, the Tinker directed his steps to Great Windmill Street, where
he entered a public-house, called the Black Lion. Leaving his
four-footed attendants with the landlord, with whom he was acquainted,
Ginger caused the party to be shown into a private room, and, on
entering it, Auriol flung himself into a chair, while the dog-fancier
stationed himself near the door. "Now, what do you want with me?" demanded Auriol. "You shall learn presently," replied the Tinker; "but first, it may be
as vell to state, that a certain pocket-book has been found." "Ah!" exclaimed Auriol. "You are the villains who beset me in the ruined
house in the Vauxhall Road." "Your pocket-book has been found, I tell you," replied the Tinker, "and
from it ve have made the most awful diskiveries. Our werry 'air stood on
end ven ve first read the shockin' particulars. What a bloodthirsty
ruffian you must be! Vy, ve finds you've been i' the habit o' makin'
avay with a young ooman vonce every ten years. Your last wictim wos in
1820--the last but one, in 1810--and the one before her, in 1800." "Hangin's too good for you!" cried the Sandman; "but if ve peaches
you're sartin to sving." "I hope that pretty creater I jist see ain't to be the next wictim?" said Ginger. "Peace!" thundered Auriol. "What do you require?" "A hundred pound each'll buy our silence," replied the Tinker. "Ve ought to have double that," said the Sandman, "for screenin' sich
atterocious crimes as he has parpetrated. Ve're not werry partic'lar
ourselves, but ve don't commit murder wholesale." "Ve don't commit murder at all," said Ginger. "You may fancy," pursued the Tinker, "that ve ain't perfectly acvainted
with your history, but to prove that ve are, I'll just rub up your
memory. Did you ever hear tell of a gemman as murdered Doctor Lamb, the
famous halchemist o' Queen Bess's time, and, havin' drank the 'lixir
vich the doctor had made for hisself, has lived ever since? Did you ever
hear tell of such a person, I say?" Auriol gazed at him in astonishment. "What idle tale are you inventing?" he said at length. "It is no idle tale," replied the Tinker boldly. "Ve can bring a vitness
as'll prove the fact--a livin' vitness." "What witness?" cried Auriol. "Don't you reckilect the dwarf as used to serve Doctor Lamb?" rejoined
the Tinker. "He's alive still; and ve calls him Old Parr, on account of
his great age." "Where is he?--what has become of him?" demanded Auriol. "Oh, ve'll perduce him in doo time," replied the Tinker cunningly. "But tell me where the poor fellow is?" cried Auriol. "Have you seen him
since last night? I sent him to a public-house at Kensington, but he has
disappeared from it, and I can discover no traces of him."