wound up,
dabbing the towel gently, but with an appearance of force, against
Nicky-Nan's temple, "for I got it out o' the child's own mouth, an'
work enough it was. That's your gentry!"

"Hey?" Nicky-Nan pushed her hand aside. "What's this you're
tellin', now?"

"Ask _him!_" she answered, nodding towards Mr Pamphlett. "He knows
all about it, an' 'tis no use for him to pretend he don't."

"_Me_ give your small brother--?" began Nicky, but broke off with a
groan and felt his brow again. "Oh, where's the head or tail to
this? Where's the _sense?_ . . . Give me my money--that's all I ask.
Stop talkin' all of 'ee, an' fetch me what you've stole, between 'ee,
an' leave me alone!"

Mr Pamphlett shifted his ground. "You're right, Nanjivell.
What's become of your money?--that's the main point, eh?"

"O' course 'tis the main point," growled Nicky. "Though I'm damned
if I see how it consarns _you_."

"Maybe I can enlighten you by-and-by. For the present you want to
know what has become of the money: and I've a strong suspicion this
child can tell us, if she chooses to confess. If not--" he raised a
minatory forefinger and shook it at 'Beida--"well, it's fortunate I
brought the constable, who will know how to act."

"Will I?" said Rat-it-all, scratching his head.

"No, you won't," 'Beida answered him stoutly, and turned again to
Nicky-Nan.

"Mr Nanjivell," she pleaded, "tell me--didn't you find these three
turnin' your room inside out?"

"'Course I did." Nicky-Nan cast a malignant glance around.

"Was they doin' it with your leave?"

"'Course they wasn't. Why, look at the state o' my head!"

"You cut it yourself, fallin' against the scurtin'-board by the
cupboard," put in Builder Gilbert.

'Beida noted his nervousness.

"You say so!" she rapped on him. "Maybe when Mr Nanjivell has you up
before Squire Tresawna, you'll all swear to it in league." Again she
turned to Nicky. "Struck your head, did you?--fallin' against the
cupboard, when they was huntin' for your money: which they can't
deny. Did you _want_ Mr Pamphlett to find your money?"

"_Him?_" said Nicky-Nan bitterly. "_Him?_ as I wouldn' trust not
ha'f so far as a man could fling him by his eyebrows!"

"Well, _I_'ve got your savin's--'Bert an' me, every bit of it--stowed
an' put away where they can't find it, not if they hunted for weeks.
I came upstairs to tell about it, and where we've stowed it. Now be
you goin' to put 'Bert and me t