"

"Being associated with your father," I said, "naturally you would.
Perhaps if I don't come across the ditty-box, I might find something
else of his that would do, eh?"

"No-o," she said. "It wouldn't. You see we--my mother and I--aren't well
off. We knew that father had some money, but we couldn't find it, or
learn anything about it; and we think it must be in the box, or a paper
telling us about it."

I shook my head.

"There's no paper in any box that I have," I assured her. "We always go
through the things that we buy very carefully."

"You wouldn't find it," she explained eagerly. "There was a secret
place. He showed it to me when I was a little girl. I don't expect he
thought I would remember, but I did. You take off the brass corners on
top, and then the lower part of the lid drops out. The lid's in two
pieces and you could put papers--or bank notes--in between."

I couldn't help smiling.

"Aren't you rather foolish to tell me?" I suggested.

She looked at me appealingly.

"Am I?" she asked.

"No," I said. "As it happens, you aren't; but I wouldn't tell anyone
else, if I were you. They _might_ think they'd like those bank notes for
themselves. _I_ might if--well, if you weren't a good deal younger and
more in need of them than I am."

"I think you are a very good and kind man, Mr. Levy," she said solemnly.

"I'm afraid not, little missie," I told her; "but there are some a good
deal worse; and some of them have an inkling of what may be in that box,
if I'm not mistaken. They've been inquiring after it."

"Oh!" She started. "There were two horrid men who seemed to be watching
me when I came in here. I half thought I remembered one of them: an old
man with a stoop. I believe I must have seen him aboard my father's
ship. I felt rather nervous--because it's such a dark alley." She looked
anxiously at the door.

"It is a bit dark," I agreed. "Would you feel safer if I saw you to a
main thoroughfare?"

"I should feel _quite_ safe then," she declared, and she smiled like a
child does. "I really don't know _how_ to thank you enough for your
goodness to me."

I called Isaac to look after the shop, and put on my hat and walked off
with her. She was a bright little creature to talk to, and when she was
excited she looked very pretty. I found that she was going to walk all
the way, so I said that I would see her right to her road. She seemed
pleased to have my company, and jabbered nineteen to the doze