better give in."

Poor Pax now saw that nothing more could be done. He therefore made a
virtue of necessity, and revealed as much of the object of his mission
as he deemed prudent. The man believed him, and, on his promising to
keep perfectly still, released him from his deadly grip.

While the policeman and the boy lay thus biding their time in the
shrubbery, Bones got over the wall and quietly inspected the premises.

"I'll let him begin, and take him in the act," whispered the policeman.

"But he's an awful big, strong, determined feller," said Pax.

"So am I," returned the policeman, with a smile, which was lost in the
dark.

Now it so happened that Miss Lillycrop, who had been spending that day
with Miss Stivergill, had been induced to spend the night also with her
friend. Of course these two had much to talk about--ladies generally
have in such circumstances--and they were later than usual in going to
bed. Mr Bones was therefore, much against his will, obliged to delay
the execution of his plans. Little dreaming that two admirers lay in
ambush about fifty yards off, he retired to a dark corner behind a bit
of old wall, and there, appropriately screened by a laurel bush, lit his
pipe and enjoyed himself.

"My dear," said Miss Stivergill to her friend about midnight, "we must
go to bed. Do you go up to my room; I'll follow after looking round."

It was the nightly practice of this lady to go over her premises from
cellar to garret, to make quite sure that the servant had fastened every
bolt and bar and lock. She began with the cellars. Finding everything
right there, she went to the dining-room windows.

"Ha! the gipsy!--unbolted, and the shutters open!" exclaimed Miss
Stivergill, fastening the bolt.

"H'm! The old fool," thought the burglar, observing her tall square
figure while thus engaged, "might as well bolt the door of Newgate with
a steel pen. Cottage window-gear is meant for show, not for service,
old girl."

"I look round regularly every night," observed Miss Stivergill, entering
her bedroom, in which Miss Lillycrop usually occupied a chair bed when
on a visit to The Rosebud. "You've no idea how careless servants are
(`Haven't I, just?' thought her friend), and although I have no personal
fear of burglars, I deem it advisable to interpose some impediments to
their entrance."

"But what would you do if they did get in?" asked Miss Lillycrop, in
some anxiety, for she had a very stron