shall hae every bodle I possess."

A general laugh greeted this proceeding, and one young thief shouted,
"Well done, checkers," (referring to his garments); "but 'ow comes it
that you've bin cleaned out?"

"Plain as pea-soup," cried another. "Don't you see? He's bin keepin'
company with Trumps!"

Here Trumps rose to explain. "No, pals, that's not the reason; but just
before comin' here he gave away every rap he had to poor widow Grain."

"He's a brick!" cried one man, with a fierce oath.

"He's a fool!" shouted another, with a fiercer oath. Regardless of the
interruption, Trumps went on to explain how he had attempted to rob our
hero, and been caught by him, and let off with a mild reproof and a lot
of coppers. He also explained how that black-hearted villain Tandy
Spivin (meaning David's landlord) had hired him--Trumps--to take this
"gen'lem'n" (pointing to David) "down into the den _for a purpus_--ahem!
Of course, on bein' introdooced to him," continued Trumps, "I at once
recognised the Scotchman I had tried to rob, and expected he would
refuse to go with me; but I soon found that Scotty was a deep as well as
a plucky cove, and wasn't to be done out of his fun by trifles, for he
said he would go to the slums with me because he could _trust me--trust
me_, pals--note that!"

A loud explosion of laughter interrupted the speaker at this point.

"What!" exclaimed several voices, "said 'e could trust _you_, Trumps?"

"Ay," cried the thief, looking suddenly fierce, "and why not? Isn't it
said, `There's honour among thieves?'"

"Thrue for ye," cried a big burglarious-looking Irishman, "sure there's
honour 'twixt the likes o' you an' me, Trumps, but that gen'lem'n an't a
thief!"

"That's so, Bill," exclaimed another man, with bloodshot eyes and
beetling brows; "an' it's my opinion that as the cove hain't got no
browns 'e ought to contribute 'is checker suit to the good o' the 'ouse.
It would fetch summat."

The interest in the missionary's words seemed to be passing away, for at
this point the language and looks of some of the company made David
Laidlaw feel that he was indeed in a ticklish position. The threats and
noise were becoming louder and more furious, and he was beginning to
think of the hopeless resource of using his fists, when a loud
exclamation, followed by a dead silence, drew every eye to the door.

The girl to whom the keeping of it had been intrusted had neglected her
duty for a moment. I