"Under the handkerchief, and tucked beneath the
lining," said Dick, aghast at the discovery.

Mr. Brass looked at him, at his sister, at the walls, at
the ceiling, at the floor--everywhere but at Kit, who stood
quite stupefied and motionless.

"And this," cried Sampson, clasping his hands, "is the
world that turns upon its own axis, and has Lunar influ-
ences, and revolutions round Heavenly Bodies, and various
games of that sort! This is human natur, is it! Oh
natur, natur! This is the miscreant that I was going to
benefit with all my little arts, and that even now I feel so
much for, as to wish to let him go! But," added Mr.
Brass with great fortitude, "I am myself a lawyer, and
bound to set an example in carrying the laws of my happy
country into effect. Sally my dear, forgive me, and catch
hold of him on the other side. Mr. Richard, sir, have the
goodness to run and fetch a constable. The weakness is
past and over, sir, and moral strength returns. A constable,
sir, if you please!"

KIT stood as one entranced, with his eyes opened wide
and fixed upon the ground, regardless alike of the tremulous
hold which Mr. Brass maintained on one side of his cravat,
and of the firmer grasp of Miss Sally upon the other;
although this latter detention was in itself no small incon-
venience, as that fascinating woman, besides screwing her
knuckles rather inconveniently into his throat from time to
time, had fastened upon him in the first instance with so
tight a grip that even in the disorder and distraction of his
thoughts he could not divest himself of an uneasy sense of
choking. Between the brother and sister he remained in
this posture, quite unresisting and passive, until Mr.
Swiveller returned with a police constable at his heels.

This functionary, being of course well used to such
scenes, looking upon all kinds of robbery from petty larceny
up to house-breaking or ventures on the highway as matters
in the regular course of business, and regarding the per-
petrators in the light of so many customers coming to be
served at the wholesale and retail shop of criminal law
where he stood behind the counter, received Mr. Brass's

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