to be done."

Tim disappeared with marvellous quickness. Diana rose to her feet and
went forward a little, with a light in her hand, to meet her brother. He
was accompanied, as she expected, by the Signor, and she saw in a moment
that Mick was more than half drunk, and in a humour which might become
dangerous at any moment.

"He's made him drunk," she said to herself, "thinking he'll drive a
better bargain. He'd better have let him alone."

The Signor was a very small, dark, fat man--dressed, as he considered,
"quite like a gentleman." He had bright, beady, twinkling eyes, and a
way of smiling and grinning as if he did not think nature had made him
enough like a monkey already, in which I do not think any one would have
agreed with him!

"So here's your handsome sister, my friend Mick," he said, as he caught
sight of Diana--"handsomer than ever. And you were coming to meet us,
were you--very amiable I'm sure."

Mick, whose eyes were dazzled by the light, and who was too stupid to
take in things quickly, frowned savagely when he saw the girl standing
quietly before him.

"What are you waiting there for?" he said, with some ugly words.
"There's no need of _you_. Get out of the way. I know where to find the
childer. The Signor and I can manage our own affairs."

"Can you?" said Diana contemptuously. "Well, good-night, then. You'll
waken them up and frighten them so that they'll scream for the whole
fair to hear them. And how the Signor means to get them away quietly if
they do so _I_ can't say. There'd maybe be some awkward questions to
answer as to how they came among us at all, if some of the people about
should be honest, decent folk. And there are fools of that kind where
you'd little look for them sometimes. However, it's no business of mine,
as you say. Good-night," and she turned away.

The Signor turned to Mick with a very evil look in his face.

"Fool that _you_ are," he muttered, but Mick only stared at him
stupidly. The Signor caught his arm and shook him. "Are you going to let
her go off?" he said. "You told me yourself she had looked after the
brats and could do anything with them, and now you go and set her back
up! She's fit to rouse the place out of spite, she is. And I can tell
you I'm not going to get myself into trouble about these children you've
made such a fuss about. I've not seen them yet, and rather than risk
anything I'll be off," and he, in turn, seemed as if he were going off.

Th