uck to turn, as it certainly
is, and find that you haven't means enough to try it (and that's where
it is, for you know, yourself, that you never have the funds to keep on
long enough at a sitting), help yourself to what seems put in your way
on purpose. Borrow it, I say, and, when you're able, pay it back
again.'

'Certainly,' Isaac List struck in, 'if this good lady as keeps the
wax-works has money, and does keep it in a tin box when she goes to
bed, and doesn't lock her door for fear of fire, it seems a easy thing;
quite a Providence, I should call it--but then I've been religiously
brought up.'

'You see, Isaac,' said his friend, growing more eager, and drawing
himself closer to the old man, while he signed to the gipsy not to come
between them; 'you see, Isaac, strangers are going in and out every
hour of the day; nothing would be more likely than for one of these
strangers to get under the good lady's bed, or lock himself in the
cupboard; suspicion would be very wide, and would fall a long way from
the mark, no doubt. I'd give him his revenge to the last farthing he
brought, whatever the amount was.'

'But could you?' urged Isaac List. 'Is your bank strong enough?'

'Strong enough!' answered the other, with assumed disdain. 'Here, you
Sir, give me that box out of the straw!'

This was addressed to the gipsy, who crawled into the low tent on all
fours, and after some rummaging and rustling returned with a cash-box,
which the man who had spoken opened with a key he wore about his person.

'Do you see this?' he said, gathering up the money in his hand and
letting it drop back into the box, between his fingers, like water.
'Do you hear it? Do you know the sound of gold? There, put it
back--and don't talk about banks again, Isaac, till you've got one of
your own.'

Isaac List, with great apparent humility, protested that he had never
doubted the credit of a gentleman so notorious for his honourable
dealing as Mr Jowl, and that he had hinted at the production of the
box, not for the satisfaction of his doubts, for he could have none,
but with a view to being regaled with a sight of so much wealth, which,
though it might be deemed by some but an unsubstantial and visionary
pleasure, was to one in his circumstances a source of extreme delight,
only to be surpassed by its safe depository in his own personal
pockets. Although Mr List and Mr Jowl addressed themselves to each
other, it was remarkable that they