by showing it to be the line whose shares
produced very high dividends at that time.

"I'm richt I fancy?" said David.

"Yes, you are right, and I could easily put you in the way of investing
in that railway."

"Have the shares been lang at this high figure?" asked Laidlaw.

"Yes; they have improved steadily for several years back."

"What say ye to that freend?" demanded David, turning to Sam with a
triumphant look.

Sam turned on his friend a look as expressionless as that of a Dutch
clock, and said sententiously, "_I_ says, go in an' win."

"_I_ says ditto!" thought Tommy Splint, but he meekly and wisely held
his tongue.

Meanwhile the lawyer went into another room, from which, returning after
a short absence, he produced a bundle of Reports which fully bore out
his statement as to the flourishing condition of the Washab and Roria
Railway.

"Weel, I'll see aboot it," said David, after a few moments'
consideration, with knitted brows. "In the meantime, sir, what have I
to pay to you for yer information?"

Mr Lockhart said he had nothing to pay, and hoped he would have the
pleasure of seeing him soon again.

"Noo, isn't _that_ a blagyird?" demanded Laidlaw, when they were again
in the street.

"No doubt he is," replied Sam; "but how will you manage to haul him up
and prove that he has been swindling the old woman?"

"Hoo can I tell? Am I a lawyer? But I'll fin' oot somehoo."

"Well, mate, while you are finding out," returned the sailor, "I'll go
to Cherub Court. So, Tommy, will you go with Mr Laidlaw or with me?"

The boy looked first at one and then at the other with a curious
"how-happy-could-I-be-with-either" expression on his sharp countenance,
and then elected to accompany the sailor. On the way he told Sam of the
"swell visitors" to the garret, whom Laidlaw had prevented him from
going back to see.

"Quite right he was, Tommy, my boy," said his friend. "It is easy to
see that you have not profited as much as you might from the example and
teaching of my dear Susy an' chimney-pot Liz."

"Chimley-pot," murmured the boy, correcting him in a low tone. "Vell,
you could 'ardly expect," he added, "that a child of my age should git
the profit all at once. I suppose it's like a bad ease o' waxination--
it ha'n't took properly yet."

"Then we must have you re-vaccinated, my boy. But tell me, what were
the swells like?"

The description of the swells occupied Tommy all the rest of the walk