ye an oot-an'-oot blagyird?"

"If you mean by that an out-and-out blackguard," answered the thief,
"you're not far wrong."

"Ye're honest the noo, ony way," remarked the Scot, with a nod. "Noo,
my man, look ye here. Ye are nae mair convertit than yer freen' Speevin
is, though I took him for a rale honest man at first. But bein' a
blagyird, as ye admit, I'm wullin' t' hire ye in that capacity for the
nicht. Noo, what I want is t' see low life in Lun'on, an' if ye'll tak'
me to what they may ca' the warst haunts o' vice, I'll mak' it worth yer
while--an' I've got mair siller than ye think for, maybe."

A stern frown settled on the thief's face as David spoke.

"I suppose," he said, "that you want me to show you the misery and
destitootion among the poor of London, that you may return to your 'ome
in the North and boast that you 'ave `done the slums!'"

"Na--na, ye're quite mista'en, man," returned David quickly; "but I want
t' see for mysel' what I've heard sae muckle aboot--to see if it's a'
true, for I'm wae--I'm" (correcting himself) "sorry--for the puir
craturs, an' wud fain help some o' them if I could. Noo, freen'," he
continued, laying his huge hand gently on the man's shoulder, "if ye
want to earn something, an'll tak' me t' where I want t' gang--guid. If
no'--I'll bid ye guid-nicht."

"Do you know," said the man, with a furtive glance at David's kindly
face, "the risk you run from the men who live in such places if you go
alone and unprotected?"

"I ken the risk _they_ run if they daur t' meddle wi' _me_! Besides,
I'll be naether alane nor unproteckit if I've _you_ wi' me, for I can
trust ye!"

A peculiar smile played for a moment on the haggard features of the
thief.

"Scotchman," he said, "whatever your name may be, I--"

"My name is David Laidlaw, an' I've nae cause t' be ashamed o't."

"Well, Mr Laidlaw," returned the thief, in vastly improved language and
tone, "I'm indebted to you for a good supper and a warm bed last night.
Besides, yours is the first friendly touch or kind voice that has
greeted me since I was discharged, and you've said you can _trust_ me!
So I'll do my best for you even though you should not give me a penny.
But remember, you will go among a rough lot whom I have but little power
to control."

"Hoots! c'way, man, an' dinna waste time haverin'."

Saying this, he grasped his guide by the arm in a friendly way and
walked off, much to the surprise of a policeman with