o do."

And he ended the conference by calling to a constable outside to tell
190 C he might come in.

Grievously crestfallen, Samuel withdrew, bemoaning the hour when he
first heard the name of Cruden, and was fool enough to dirty his hands
with a "big job." What else was he to expect when once these official
snobs took a thing up? Of course they would put every obstacle and
humiliation in the way of an outsider that jealousy could suggest. He
had very little doubt that this sub-inspector, the moment his back was
turned, would sit down and make notes of his information, and then take
all the credit of it to himself. Never mind, they were bound to want
him when the trial came on, and wouldn't he just show up their tricks!
Oh no! S.S. wasn't going to be flouted and snubbed for nothing, he
could tell them, and so they'd discover.

It was no use staying in Liverpool, that was clear. The Liverpool
police should have the pleasure of fetching him all the way from London
when they wanted him; and possibly, with Durfy's aid, he might succeed
in getting hold of another trump-card meanwhile to turn up when they
least expected it.

The journey south next day was less blithe and less occupied with the
_Law Times_ than the journey north had been. But as he got farther away
from inhospitable Liverpool his spirits revived, and before London was
reached he was once more in imagination "the clever lawyer, Shuckleford,
don't you know, who gave the Liverpool police a slap in the face over
that Agency Corporation business, don't you know."

Two "don't you knows" this time!

On reaching home, any natural joy he might be expected to feel on being
restored to the bosom of his family was damped by the discovery that his
mother was that very moment in next door relieving guard with Miss Crisp
at the bedside of Mrs Cruden.

"What business has she to do it when I told her not?" demanded Sam
wrathfully of his sister.

"She's not bound to obey you," said Jemima; "she's your mother."

"She is. And a nice respectable mother, too, to go mixing with a lot of
low, swindling jail-birds! It's sickening!"

"You've no right to talk like that, Sam," said Jemima, flushing up;
"they're as honest as you are--more so, perhaps. There!"

"Go it; say on," said Samuel. "All I can tell you is, if you don't both
of you turn the Cruden lot up, I'll go and live in lodgings by myself."

"Why should we turn them or anybody up for you, I should lik