, Mr Gills,' he answered, rising, and
shaking the old man by the hand, 'until I make up my mind what to do
with him, and what he deserves. As I consider myself responsible for
him, Mr Gills,' here he smiled a wide smile at Rob, who shook before
it: 'I shall be glad if you'll look sharply after him, and report his
behaviour to me. I'll ask a question or two of his parents as I ride
home this afternoon--respectable people--to confirm some particulars in
his own account of himself; and that done, Mr Gills, I'll send him round
to you to-morrow morning. Goodbye!'

His smile at parting was so full of teeth, that it confused old Sol, and
made him vaguely uncomfortable. He went home, thinking of raging seas,
foundering ships, drowning men, an ancient bottle of Madeira never
brought to light, and other dismal matters.

'Now, boy!' said Mr Carker, putting his hand on young Toodle's shoulder,
and bringing him out into the middle of the room. 'You have heard me?'

Rob said, 'Yes, Sir.'

'Perhaps you understand,' pursued his patron, 'that if you ever deceive
or play tricks with me, you had better have drowned yourself, indeed,
once for all, before you came here?'

There was nothing in any branch of mental acquisition that Rob seemed to
understand better than that.

'If you have lied to me,' said Mr Carker, 'in anything, never come in my
way again. If not, you may let me find you waiting for me somewhere near
your mother's house this afternoon. I shall leave this at five o'clock,
and ride there on horseback. Now, give me the address.'

Rob repeated it slowly, as Mr Carker wrote it down. Rob even spelt it
over a second time, letter by letter, as if he thought that the omission
of a dot or scratch would lead to his destruction. Mr Carker then handed
him out of the room; and Rob, keeping his round eyes fixed upon his
patron to the last, vanished for the time being.

Mr Carker the Manager did a great deal of business in the course of the
day, and stowed his teeth upon a great many people. In the office, in
the court, in the street, and on 'Change, they glistened and bristled
to a terrible extent. Five o'clock arriving, and with it Mr Carker's bay
horse, they got on horseback, and went gleaming up Cheapside.

As no one can easily ride fast, even if inclined to do so, through the
press and throng of the City at that hour, and as Mr Carker was not
inclined, he went leisurely along, picking his way among the carts and
carriages, av