Their entertainer had sat perfectly quiet in the beginning
of this dispute, looking first at one man and then at the
other, as if he were lying in wait for an opportunity of
putting some further question, or reverting to that from
which the discourse had strayed. But, from the point where
Mr. Codlin was charged with sleepiness, he had shown an
increasing interest in the discussion: which now attained
a very high pitch.

"You are the two men I want," he said, "the two men
I have been looking for, and searching after. Where are
that old man and that child you speak of?"

"Sir?" said Short, hesitating, and looking towards his
friend.

"The old man and his grandchild who travelled with
you--where are they? It will be worth your while to speak
out, I assure you; much better worth your while than you
believe. They left you, you say,--at those races, as I
understand. They have been traced to that place, and
there lost sight of. Have you no clue, can you suggest no
clue, to their recovery?"

"Did I always say, Thomas," cried Short, turning with
a look of amazement to his friend, "that there was sure to
be an inquiry after them two travellers?"

"You said!" returned Mr. Codlin. "Did I always say
that that 'ere blessed child was the most interesting I ever
see? Did I always say I loved her, and doted on her?
Pretty creetur, I think I hear her now. ' Codlin's my
friend,' she says, with a tear of gratitude a trickling down
her little eye; ' Codlin's my friend,' she says--'not Short.
Short's very well,' she says; 'I've no quarrel with Short;
he means to be kind, I dare say; but Codlin,' she says, 'has
the feelings for my money, though he mayn't look it.'"

Repeating these words with great emotion, Mr. Codlin
rubbed the bridge of his nose with his coat-sleeve, and
shaking his head mournfully from side to side, left the
single gentleman to infer that, from the moment when he
lost sight of his dear young charge, his peace of mind and
happiness had fled.

"Good God!" said the single gentleman, pacing up and
down the room, "have I found these men at last, only to
discover that they can give me no information or assist-
ance! It would have been better to have lived on in hope
from day to day, and never to have lighted on them, than
to have my expectations scattered."

-272-