"Oh, nothing--what should I? If you're a friend of his, you'd better
take yourself off! That's what I mean."

"All right; no offence, old lady. Perhaps he's come in by this time."

The lady laughed disagreeably. The Corporation had bought coals of her
three months ago.

Samuel returned to the office, but it was as deserted as ever. He
therefore resolved to try what his blandishments could do with the
chemist's boy downstairs in the way of obtaining information.

That young gentleman, as the reader will remember, had been a bosom
friend of Love in his day, and was animated to some extent by the spirit
of his comrade.

"Hullo, my man!" said Sam, walking into the shop. "Governor's out,
then?"

"Yus."

"Got any lollipops in those bottles?"

"Yus."

"Any brandy-balls?"

"No."

"Any acid-drops?"

"Yus."

"I'll take a penn'orth, then. I suppose you don't know when the
gentleman upstairs will be back?"

The boy stopped short in his occupation and stared at Sam.

"What gentleman?" he asked.

"Mr Medlock, is it? or Reginald, or some name like that?"

"Oh yus, I do!" said the boy, with a grin.

"When?"

"Six months all but a day. That's what I reckon."

"Six months! Has he gone away, then?"

"Oh no--he was took off."

"Took off--you don't mean to say he's dead?"

"Oh, ain't you a rum 'un! As if you didn't know he's been beaked."

"Beaked! what's that?"

The boy looked disgusted at the fellow's obtuseness.

"'Ad up in the p'lice-court, of course. What else could I mean?"

Samuel jumped off his stool as if he had been electrified.

"What do you say?" said he, gaping wildly at the boy.

"Go on; if you're deaf, it's no use talkin' to you. He's been up in the
p'lice-court," said he, raising his voice to a shout. "Yesterday--there
you are--and there's your drops, and you ain't give me the penny for
them."

Samuel threw down the penny, and, too excited to take up the drops,
dashed out into the street.

What! yesterday--while he was lounging about town, fancying he had the
game all to himself. Was ever luck like his?

He rushed to a shop and bought a morning paper. There, sure enough, was
a short notice of yesterday's proceedings, and you might have knocked
S.S. down with a feather as he read it.

"Anyhow," said he to himself, crumpling up the paper in sheer vexation,
"they won't be able to do without me, I'll take care of that. I can
tell them all about it--but catch me doin