then I lit out--for bed, I said, meaning some time or another. When I
got by myself I went to thinking the thing over. I says to myself, shall
I go to that doctor, private, and blow on these frauds? No--that won't
do. He might tell who told him; then the king and the duke would make it
warm for me. Shall I go, private, and tell Mary Jane? No--I dasn't do
it. Her face would give them a hint, sure; they've got the money, and
they'd slide right out and get away with it. If she was to fetch in help
I'd get mixed up in the business before it was done with, I judge. No;
there ain't no good way but one. I got to steal that money, somehow; and
I got to steal it some way that they won't suspicion that I done it.
They've got a good thing here, and they ain't a-going to leave till
they've played this family and this town for all they're worth, so I'll
find a chance time enough. I'll steal it and hide it; and by and by, when
I'm away down the river, I'll write a letter and tell Mary Jane where
it's hid. But I better hive it tonight if I can, because the doctor
maybe hasn't let up as much as he lets on he has; he might scare them out
of here yet.

So, thinks I, I'll go and search them rooms. Upstairs the hall was dark,
but I found the duke's room, and started to paw around it with my hands;
but I recollected it wouldn't be much like the king to let anybody else
take care of that money but his own self; so then I went to his room and
begun to paw around there. But I see I couldn't do nothing without a
candle, and I dasn't light one, of course. So I judged I'd got to do the
other thing--lay for them and eavesdrop. About that time I hears their
footsteps coming, and was going to skip under the bed; I reached for it,
but it wasn't where I thought it would be; but I touched the curtain that
hid Mary Jane's frocks, so I jumped in behind that and snuggled in
amongst the gowns, and stood there perfectly still.

They come in and shut the door; and the first thing the duke done was to
get down and look under the bed. Then I was glad I hadn't found the bed
when I wanted it. And yet, you know, it's kind of natural to hide under
the bed when you are up to anything private. They sets down then, and
the king says:

"Well, what is it? And cut it middlin' short, because it's better for us
to be down there a-whoopin' up the mournin' than up here givin' 'em a
chance to talk us over."

"Well, this is it, Capet. I ain't easy; I ain