Bob's
bedroom."

"Well?" ses Bill Chambers, as Henery Walker stopped and looked round.

"A'most direckly arterwards I 'eard Mrs. Pretty and her sister coming
upstairs," ses Henery Walker, with a shudder. "I was under the bed at
the time, and afore I could say a word Mrs. Pretty gave a loud screech
and scratched my face something cruel. I thought she'd gone mad."

"You've made a nice mess of it!" ses Bill Chambers.

"Mess!" ses Henery, firing up. "Wot would you ha' done?"

"I should ha' managed diff'rent," ses Bill Chambers. "Did she know who
you was?"

"Know who I was?" ses Henery. "O' course she did. It's my belief that
Bob knew all about it and told 'er wot to do."

"Well, you've done it now, Henery," ses Bill Chambers. "Still, that's
your affair."

"Ho, is it?" ses Henery Walker. "You 'ad as much to do with it as I 'ad,
excepting that you was sitting up 'ere in comfort while I was doing all
the work. It's a wonder to me I got off as well as I did."

Bill Chambers sat staring at 'im and scratching his 'ead, and just then
they all 'eard the voice of Bob Pretty, very distinct, outside, asking
for Henery Walker. Then the door opened, and Bob Pretty, carrying his
'ead very 'igh, walked into the room.

"Where's Henery Walker?" he ses, in a loud voice.

[Illustration: "'Where's Henery Walker?' he ses, in a loud voice."]

Henery Walker put down the empty mug wot he'd been pretending to drink
out of and tried to smile at 'im.

"Halloa, Bob!" he ses.

"What was you doing in my 'ouse?" ses Bob Pretty, very severe.

"I--I just looked in to see whether you was in, Bob," ses Henery.

"That's why you was found under my bed, I s'pose?" ses Bob Pretty.
"I want a straight answer, Henery Walker, and I mean to 'ave it, else I'm
going off to Cudford for Policeman White."

"I went there to get that hamper," ses Henery Walker, plucking up spirit.
"You won it unfair last night, and we determined for to get it back. So
now you know."

"I call on all of you to witness that," ses Bob, looking round. "Henery
Walker went into my 'ouse to steal my hamper. He ses so, and it wasn't
'is fault he couldn't find it. I'm a pore man and I can't afford such
things; I sold it this morning, a bargain, for thirty bob."

"Well, then there's no call to make a fuss over it, Bob," ses Bill
Chambers.

"I sold it for thirty bob," ses Bob Pretty, "and when I went out this
evening I left the money on my bedroom mantelpiece--o