Not a word passed between them; but keeping a vigilant look-out, they
trudged on with quick, shambling steps. A few sounds arose from the
banks of the river, and there was now and then a plash in the water, or
a distant cry, betokening some passing craft; but generally all was
profoundly still. The quaint, Dutch-looking structures on the opposite
bank, the line of coal-barges and lighters moored to the strand, the
great timber-yards and coal-yards, the brewhouses, gasworks, and
waterworks, could only be imperfectly discerned; but the moonlight fell
clear upon the ancient towers of Lambeth Palace, and on the neighbouring
church. The same glimmer also ran like a silver belt across the stream,
and revealed the great, stern, fortress-like pile of the
Penitentiary--perhaps the most dismal-looking structure in the whole
metropolis. The world of habitations beyond this melancholy prison was
buried in darkness. The two men, however, thought nothing of these
things, and saw nothing of them; but, on arriving within a couple of
hundred yards of the bridge, suddenly, as if by previous concert,
quitted the road, and, leaping a rail, ran across a field, and plunged
into a hollow formed by a dried pit, where they came to a momentary
halt. "You ain't a-been a-gammonin' me in this matter, Tinker?" observed the
shorter individual. "The cove's sure to come?" "Why, you can't expect me to answer for another as I can for myself,
Sandman," replied the other; "but if his own word's to be taken for it,
he's sartin to be there. I heerd him say, as plainly as I'm a speakin'
to you--'I'll be here to-morrow night--at the same hour----'"

"And that wos one o'clock?" said the Sandman. "Thereabouts," replied the other. "And who did he say that to?" demanded the Sandman. "To hisself, I s'pose," answered the Tinker; "for, as I told you afore,
I could see no one vith him." "Do you think he's one of our perfession?" inquired the Sandman. "Bless you! no--that he ain't," returned the Tinker. "He's a reg'lar
slap-up svell." "That's no reason at all," said the Sandman. "Many a first-rate svell
practises in our line. But he can't be in his right mind to come to such
a ken as that, and go on as you mentions." "As to that I can't say," replied the Tinker; "and it don't much matter,
as far as ve're consarned." "Devil a bit," rejoined the Sandman, "except--you're sure it worn't a
sperrit, Tinker. I've heerd say that this crib is haanted, and though I
don't fear no livin' man, a ghost's a different sort of customer." "Vell, you'll find our svell raal flesh and blood, you may depend upon
it," replied the Tinker. "So come along, and don't let's be frightenin'
ourselves vith ould vimen's tales." With this they emerged from the pit, crossed the lower part of the
field, and entered a narrow thoroughfare, skirted by a few detached
houses, which brought them into the Vauxhall Bridge Road. Here they kept on the side of the street most in shadow, and crossed
over whenever they came to a lamp. By-and-by, two watchmen were seen
advancing from Belvoir Terrace, and, as the guardians of the night drew
near, the ruffians crept into an alley to let them pass. As soon as the
coast was clear, they ventured forth, and quickening their pace, came to
a row of deserted and dilapidated houses. This was their destination. The range of habitations in question, more than a dozen in number, were,
in all probability, what is vulgarly called "in Chancery," and shared
the fate of most property similarly circumstanced. They were in a sad
ruinous state--unroofed, without windows and floors. The bare walls were
alone left standing, and these were in a very tumble-down condition. These neglected dwellings served as receptacles for old iron, blocks of
stone and wood, and other ponderous matters. The aspect of the whole
place was so dismal and suspicious, that it was generally avoided by
passengers after nightfall. Skulking along the blank and dreary walls, the Tinker, who was now a
little in advance, stopped before a door, and pushing it open, entered
the dwelling. His companion followed him. The extraordinary and incongruous assemblage of objects which met the
gaze of the Sandman, coupled with the deserted appearance of the place,
produced an effect upon his hardy but superstitious nature. Looking round, he beheld huge mill-stones, enormous water-wheels,
boilers of steam-engines, iron vats, cylinders, cranes, iron pumps of
the strangest fashion, a gigantic pair of wooden scales, old iron safes,
old boilers, old gas-pipes, old water-pipes, cracked old bells, old
bird-cages, old plates of iron, old pulleys, ropes, and rusty chains,
huddled and heaped together in the most fantastic disorder. In the midst
of the chaotic mass frowned the bearded and colossal head of Neptune,
which had once decorated the forepart of a man-of-war. Above it, on a
sort of framework, lay the prostrate statue of a nymph, together with a
bust of Fox, the nose of the latter being partly demolished, and the
eyes knocked in. Above these, three garden divinities laid their heads
amicably together. On the left stood a tall Grecian warrior, minus the
head and right hand. The whole was surmounted by an immense ventilator,
stuck on the end of an iron rod, ascending, like a lightning-conductor,
from the steam-engine pump. Seen by the transient light of the moon, the various objects above
enumerated produced a strange effect upon the beholder's imagination. There was a mixture of the grotesque and terrible about them. Nor was
the building itself devoid of a certain influence upon his mind. The
ragged brickwork, overgrown with weeds, took with him the semblance of a
human face, and seemed to keep a wary eye on what was going forward
below. A means of crossing from one side of the building to the other, without
descending into the vault beneath, was afforded by a couple of planks;
though as the wall on the farther side was some feet higher than that
near at hand, and the planks were considerably bent, the passage
appeared hazardous. Glancing round for a moment, the Tinker leaped into the cellar, and,
unmasking his lantern, showed a sort of hiding-place, between a bulk of
timber and a boiler, to which he invited his companion. The Sandman jumped down. "The ale I drank at the 'Two Fighting Cocks' has made me feel drowsy,
Tinker," he remarked, stretching himself on the bulk; "I'll just take a
snooze. Vake me up if I snore--or ven our sperrit appears." The Tinker replied in the affirmative; and the other had just become
lost to consciousness, when he received a nudge in the side, and his
companion whispered--"He's here!" "Vhere--vhere?" demanded the Sandman, in some trepidation. "Look up, and you'll see him," replied the other. Slightly altering his position, the Sandman caught sight of a figure
standing upon the planks above them. It was that of a young man.