p secrets, put two and two together, and pry curiously into
everybody's affairs, being never so happy as when he gets an
opportunity of going to the rescue of a sinking man. Thus among those
who lived in good repute about the lower end of the King's Road, none
had a better name than Mr. Emblem, and no one was considered to have
made more of his chances. And it was with joy that Mr. Chalker
received Joe one evening and heard from him the dismal story, that if
he could not find fifty pounds within a few hours, he was ruined. The
fifty pounds was raised on a bill bearing Mr. Emblem's name. When it
was presented, however, and the circumstances explained, the old
gentleman, who had at first refused to own the signature, accepted it
meekly, and told no one that his grandson had written it himself,
without the polite formality of asking permission to sign for him. In
other words Joseph was a forger, and Mr. Chalker knew it, and this
made him the more astonished when Mr. Emblem did not take up the bill,
but got it renewed quarter after quarter, substituting at length a
bill of sale, as if he was determined to pay as much as possible for
his grandson's sins.

"Where is he?" asked the money-lender angrily. "Why doesn't he come
down and face his creditors?"

"Master's upstairs," said James, "and you've seen yourself, Mr.
Chalker, that he is off his chump. And oh, sir, who would have thought
that Emblem's would have come to ruin?"

"But there's something, James--Come, think--there must be something."

"Mr. Joseph said there were thousands. But he's a terrible liar--oh,
Mr. Chalker, he's a terrible liar and villain! Why, he's even deceived
me!"

"What? Has he borrowed your money?"

"Worse--worse. Do you know where I could find him, sir?"

"Well, I don't know--" Mr. Chalker was not in the habit of giving
addresses, but in this case, perhaps Joe might be squeezed as well as
his grandfather. Unfortunately that bill with the signature had been
destroyed. "I don't know. Perhaps if I find out I may tell you. And,
James, if you can learn anything--this rubbish won't fetch half the
money--I'll make it worth your while, James, I will indeed."

"I'll make him take his share," said James to himself. "If I have to
go to prison, he shall go too. They sha'n't send me without sending
him."

He looked round. The watchful eyes were gone. The Hindoo had gone away
noiselessly. James breathed again.

"After all," he said, "how are they to