way, said
she!

If Micky had remembered word for word the whole of this interview, he
might have had misgivings of the effect of one thing he had said
unawares. It was his reference to Uncle Mo's absence at The Sun during
the late afternoon. Manifestly, it left the house in Mr. Wix's
imagination untenanted, during some two hours of the day, except by Aunt
M'riar, and the children perhaps. And what did _they_ matter?

"You're mighty wise, Juliar, about the party of the house and the
fifty-pun' reward." So said the convict when the woman came back, after
seeing that Micky had crossed the wall unmolested by authority. "Folk
ain't in any such a hurry to get a man hanged when they know what'll
happen if they fail of doing it. Not even for fifty pound!"

"What _will_ happen?"

"Couldn't say to a nicety. But she would stand a tidy chance of getting
ripped up, next opportunity." He seemed pleased at his expression of
this fact, as he took the first pulls at a fresh pipe, on the
window-seat with his boots against the shutter and a grip of interlaced
fingers behind his close-cut head for support. Why in Heaven's name does
the released gaol-bird crop his hair? One would have thought the first
instinct of regained freedom would have been to let it grow.

Miss Hawkins looked at him without admiration. "I often wonder," said
she, "at the many risks I run to shelter you, for you're a bloody-minded
knave, and that's the truth. It was a near touch but I might have lost
my licence, last time."

"The Beaks were took with your good looks, Juliar. They're good judges
of a fine woman. An orphan you was, too, and the mourning sooted you,
prime!" He looked lazily at her, puffing--not without admiration, of a
sort. Her resentment seemed to gratify him more than any subserviency.
He continued:--"Well, nobody can say I haven't offered to make an honest
woman of _you_, Juliar."

"Much it was worth, your offer! As if you was free! And me to sell The
Pigeons and go with you to New York! No--no! I'm better off as I am,
than that."

"I'm free, accordin' to Law. Never seen the girl, nor heard from
her--over twenty years now--twenty-three at least. Scot-free of _her_,
anyhow! Don't want none of her, cutting in to spoil my new start in
life. Re-spectable man--justice of peace, p'r'aps." He puffed at his
pipe, pleased with the prospect. Then he sounded the keynote of his
thought, adding:--"Why--how much could you get for the freehold of this
li