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"Why," exclai?"

"As ever vas, sir I ain't partial to disguises as a rule, but

circu as

they turned into Hatton Garden "Ye see, I've been keeping a eye--or

as you le on vun o' my fambly, vich is the

v'y and the v'erefore o' these 'ere v'iskers Yesterday, I vas a

etables as nobody 'ad

ordered,--the day afore, a sailor- and a-searchin' for a gray-'eaded feyther as didn't

exist,--to-day I'm a riverside cove as 'ad found a letter--a letter

as I'd stole--"

"Stolen!" repeated Barnabas

"Vell, let's say borreyed, sir,--borreyed for purposes o' obserwation,

--out o' young Barrymaine's pocket, and werry neatly I done it too!"

Here Mr Shrig chuckled softly, checked himself suddenly, and shook

his placid head "But life ain't all lavender, sir,--not by no

s is werry

slack vithin the murder line this veek, and only vun

sooicide, a couple o' 'ighvay robberies, and a 'sault and battery!

You can scragto And then, to

make it vorse, I 've jest 'ad a loss as vell"

"I', but--"