dy.

'Where's your mother, child?' she asked, as she dispatched him.

'Don know,' repeated the boy, stupidly.

'Oh, for goodness' sake, she's never at Dawson's again!' groaned Mary
Anne to herself; 'she wor there last night, an the night afore that. An
her mother's brother lyin like this in 'er house!'

He was so long in coming round that her ignorance began to fear the
worst. But just as she was telling the eldest girl to put on her hat and
jacket and run for the doctor, poor John revived.

He struggled to a sitting posture, looked wildly at her and at the box.
As his eye caught the two sovereigns still lying at the bottom, he gave
a cry of rage, and got upon his feet with a mighty effort.

'Where's Bessie, I tell yer? Where's the huzzy gone? I'll have the law
on 'er! I'll make 'er give it up--by the Lord, I will!'

'John, what is it?--John, my dear!' cried Mary Anne, supporting him, and
terrified lest he should pitch headlong down the stairs.

'Yo 'elp me down,' he said, violently. 'We'll find 'er--we'll wring it
out ov 'er--the mean thievin vagabond! Changin suverins, 'as she? we'll
soon know about that--yo 'elp me down, I tell yer.'

And with her assistance he hobbled down the stairs, hardly able to
stand. Mary Anne's eyes were starting out of her head with fear and
agitation, and the children were staring at the old man as he came
tottering into the kitchen, when a sound at the outer door made them all
turn.

The door opened, and Bessie appeared on the threshold.

At sight of her John seemed to lose his senses. He rushed at her,
threatening, imploring, reviling--while Mary Anne could only cling to
his arms and coat, lest he should attempt some bodily mischief.

Bessie closed the door, leant against it, and folded her arms. She was
white and haggard, but perfectly cool. In this moment of excitement it
struck neither John nor Mary Anne--nor, indeed, herself--that her
manner, with its brutality, and its poorly feigned surprise, was the
most revealing element in the situation.

'What's all this about yer money?' she said, staring John in the face.
'What do I know about yer money? 'Ow dare yer say such things? I 'aven't
anythin to do with it, an never 'ad.'

He raved at her, in reply, about the position in which he had found the
box--on the top of its fellow instead of underneath, where he had placed
it--about the broken lock, the sovereigns she had been changing, and the
things Watson had said of her--w