s Tom himself. The latter, however,
showed no surprise or alarm at this sudden meeting, for the two walked
together side by side, the low rumble of their bass voices mingling in
converse, together with frequent bursts of half-suppressed but clearly
inextinguishable laughter.

------------------------------------------------------------------------

Now in the office or den devoted to the shadiest of his transactions--
and he was wont to deal in some very shady transactions--sat Adolphus
Sonnenberg, with an expectant, but very evilly exultant expression of
countenance, and this increased as the minutes went by. With him also
sat Lambert.

Between them was a bottle of grog, glasses, and a biscuit tin, eke a box
of cigars. The expression of Lambert's face was akin to that on the
more abominable countenance of the Jew. Both were waiting, for
something, for somebody; the most casual spectator might have seen that
at a glance.

"Do you think he'll tumble?" the doctor was saying--not for the first
time. "Do you think he'll fall into the hole?"

"Tumble? Fall into de hole? I should rather think he would," was the
emphatic reply. "These beggarly Civil Servants are all so damn hard up,
they'd sell their souls for fifteen pounds. And I know Musgrave would."

"Steady, steady! No names," warned the other, glancing furtively
around.

"I don't care a damn. Ha, ha! we shall see who will sing small now!
Ha, ha! Musgrave, my boy, we shall see who has de crow this time. We
shall see you in your own dock to-morrow, or de next day. Then de
_tronk_, for he'll never be able to pay de lumping fine they'll have to
put on him; a beggarly out-at-elbows rip, for all de side he crowds on."
And the expression on the face of the evil Jew was now simply
demoniacal. "That devil, Tom, ought to be back by now!" he went on,
glancing again at the time. "A quarter to one, by Jove!"

Both sat on, ill at ease and talking constrainedly, the one gloating
over the sure accomplishment of a diabolical revenge, the other
anticipating his chances when this all-powerful rival should be once and
for all removed from his path. Still the hands of the clock moved on
and on; still nobody came.

"I can't stand this any longer," said Sonnenberg at last, jumping from
his seat, when nearly another hour had gone by. "Have another liquor,
doctor, and then we'll prowl out and see if we can see anything of Tom."

"Is it wise? Apart from the possibil