rn-out, sir--I--"

"Yes, I see--ah! here is _one_ of them," said Mr Sharp, drawing an old
shoe out of a corner; "you don't require to look for the other, I've got
it here," he added, drawing its fellow from his pocket.

Jones stood aghast.

"Look here, Jones," said Mr Sharp, gazing sternly into the culprit's
face, "you needn't trouble yourself to deny the theft. I haven't yet
looked at the sole of _this_ shoe, but I'll engage to tell how many
tackets are in it. We have discovered a little lump of clay down near
the station, with a perfect impression of a sole having fifteen tackets
therein,--three being wanting on the right, side, two on the left, and
one at the toe--now, let us see," he said, turning it up, "am I not a
good prophet eh?"

Bill gave in at once! He not only made "a clean breast of it," but also
gave information that led to the capture of his accomplice before that
day's sun went down, and before Mr Sharp allowed himself to go to bed.

Thus did our superintendent winnow the chaff from the wheat continually.

Now, dear reader, do not say, "From all this it would appear that
railway servants must be a bad lot of men!" It would be a thousand
pities to fail into such an error, when we are labouring to prove to you
the very reverse, namely, that the bad ones being continually and well
"looked after," none but the good are left. Our aim necessarily
involves that we should dilate much on evil, so that the evil
unavoidably bulks large in your eyes; but if we were capable of laying
before you all the good that is done, felt and said by the thousands of
our true-hearted men-of-the-line, the evil that is mingled with them
would shrink into comparative insignificance.

The truth is, that in writing these details we desire to reassure
ourself, as well as to comfort you, O timid railway traveller, by
asserting and illustrating the unquestionable fact, that if our dangers
on the line are numerous and great, our safeguards at all points are far
more numerous and much greater.

CHAPTER TWELVE.

LOO'S GARDEN.

The plans of nurses, not less than those of mice and men, are apt to get
into disorder. Mrs Durby having packed up the diamond ring in the
careful manner which we have described in a previous chapter, essayed to
get ready for her important journey to London on pawning purposes
intent, but she found that there were so many little preparations to
make, both in regard to her own toilette and to the