t modest allowance these articles
were present by the half-dozen, it was hardly possible to believe that
any one lady could accommodate so much splendour. How ever, I could
only suppose the superfluous treasures were destined for Stumpy's
cousins, masculine and feminine, and occupied the rest of the journey in
the harmless amusement of wondering to whose lot I was likely to fall.

The man walked some considerable distance, and strangely enough bent his
steps in a direction not far removed from Saint Elizabeth's Hospital.
Surely he was not going to restore me to Tom Drift! No; we passed the
end of Grime Street. There were milkmen's carts rattling up and down;
servants were scrubbing doorsteps; and a few sleepy-looking men, with
their breakfasts in their hands, were scurrying off to work. It was all
the same as usual; yet how interesting, all of a sudden, the dull street
had become to me. It was here I had last seen poor Charlie, outraged
and struck by the friend he strove to save, creeping slowly home; it was
here Tom Drift still dwelt, daily sinking in folly and sin, with no
friend now left to help him. Poor Tom Drift! How gladly would I have
returned to him, even to be neglected and ill-used, if only I might have
the opportunity once again of fulfilling that charge put upon me by my
first master, and which yet ever rang in my ears,--

"Be good to Tom Drift."

But it was not to be yet. The man walked rapidly on down a street
parallel with Grime Street, at the farthest corner of which stood a
small private house.

Here he knocked.

The occupant of the house evidently knew and expected him, for he at
once admitted him, and led the way upstairs into a private parlour.
Here the thieves' broker emptied the contents of his bag, laying the
articles one by one on the table.

The man of the house looked on in an unconcerned way while this was
taking place, picking up now one, now another of the objects, and
examining them superficially. When the bag was empty, and the whole of
the ill-gotten booty displayed, he remarked, "Not so much this time,
Bill."

"No; trade's bad, sir," replied he who owned the bag.

"Well, I'll send the most of 'em down to the country to-day," resumed
the master of the house.

"When shall I call, sir?" inquired Stumpy's friend.

"Monday. But look here, Bill!" said the other, taking me up, "it's no
use leaving this; I shall be able to manage the gold ones, but this is
no good."

I