They're too hot for his fingers, and so he finds when he thinks
of taking 'em into the market. So he puts Benjamin up to the second
robbery."

"Who's drawing it fine, now, Gager;--eh?"

"Mr. Bunfit, I'm not saying as I've got the truth beyond this,--that
Benjamin and his two men were clean done at Carlisle, that Lord
George and his lady brought the jewels up to town between 'em, and
that the party who didn't get 'em at Carlisle tried their hand again
and did get 'em in Hertford Street." In all of which the ingenious
Gager would have been right, if he could have kept his mind clear
from the alluring conviction that a lord had been the chief of the
thieves.

"We shall never make a case of it now," said Bunfit despondently.

"I mean to try it on all the same. There's Smiler about town as bold
as brass, and dressed to the nines. He had the cheek to tell me he
was going down to the Newmarket Spring to look after a horse he's got
a share in."

"I was talking to Billy only yesterday," added Bunfit. "I've got
it on my mind that they didn't treat Billy quite on the square. He
didn't let on anything about Benjamin; but he told me out plain, as
how he was very much disgusted. 'Mr. Bunfit,' said he, 'there's that
roguery about, that a plain man like me can't touch it. There's them
as'd pick my eyes out while I was sleeping, and then swear it against
my very self.' Them were his words, and I knew as how Benjamin hadn't
been on the square with him."

"You didn't let on anything, Mr. Bunfit?"

"Well,--I just reminded him as how there was five hundred pounds
going a-begging from Mr. Camperdown."

"And what did he say to that, Mr. Bunfit?"

"Well, he said a good deal. He's a sharp little fellow, is Billy, as
has read a deal. You've heard of 'Umpty Dumpty, Gager? 'Umpty Dumpty
was a hegg."

"All right."

"As had a fall, and was smashed,--and there's a little poem about
him."

"I know."

"Well;--Billy says to me: 'Mr. Camperdown don't want no hinformation;
he wants the diamonds. Them diamonds is like 'Umpty Dumpty, Mr.
Bunfit. All the king's horses and all the king's men couldn't put
'Umpty Dumpty up again.'"

"Billy was about right there," said the younger officer, rising from
his seat.

Late on the afternoon of the same day, when London had already been
given over to the gaslights, Mr. Gager, having dressed himself
especially for the occasion of the friendly visit which he intended
to make, sauntered into a small