no use."

"Stop." said Tanner, "you can tell it to me."

"Why so? You know not where he is; you cannot tell it to him."

"I don't know that," said Tanner. "Come, let's have it out; and if it
will do him any good. I'll see if we can't manage to find him."

"I can impart my news to him and no one else," said Sybil. "I am
solemnly bound."

"You can't have a better counseller than Tanner," urged his wife,
getting curious; "you had better tell us."

"I want no counsel; I want that which you can give me if you
choose--information. My father instructed me that if certain
circumstances occurred it was a matter of the last urgency that I should
see him this evening and before nine o'clock, I was to call here and
obtain from you the direction where to find him; the direction," she
added in a lowered tone, and looking Tanner full in the face, "where
they hold their secret council to-night."

"Hem!" said Tanner: "I see you're on the free-list. And pray how am I
to know you _are_ Gerard's daughter?"

"You do not doubt I am his daughter!" said Sybil proudly.

"Hem!" said Tanner: "I do not know that I do very much," and he
whispered to his wife. Sybil removed from them as far as she was able.

"And this news is very urgent," resumed Tanner; "and concerns me you
say?"

"Concerns you all," said Sybil; "and every minute is of the last
importance."

"I should like to have gone with you myself, and then there could have
been no mistake," said Tanner; "but that can't be; we have a meeting
here at half-past eight in our great room. I don't much like breaking
rules, especially in such a business; and yet, concerning all of us,
as you say, and so very urgent, I don't see how it could do harm; and I
might--I wish I was quite sure you were the party.

"How can I satisfy you?" said Sybil, distressed.

"Perhaps the young person have got her mark on her linen," suggested
the wife. "Have you got a handkerchief Ma'am?" and she took Sybil's
handkerchief and looked at it, and examined it at every corner. It had
no mark. And this unforeseen circumstance of great suspicion might have
destroyed everything, had not the production of the handkerchief by
Sybil also brought forth a letter addressed to her from Hatton.

"It seems to be the party," said the wife.

"Well," said Tanner, "you know St Martin's Lane I suppose? Well, you go
up St Martin's Lane to a certain point, and then you will get into Seven
Dials; and then you'll go on. Howev