o prison for that?"

"My dear"--Nicky-Nan spread out his hands--"not if you was a thief
an' had really stole it, I wouldn'. But behavin', as you have, like
an angel slap out o' Heaven--" He staggered up and confronted Mr
Pamphlett. "Here, you clear out o' this!" he threatened, pointing to
the door. "You're done, my billies. Tuck your tails atween your
legs an' march!"

"A moment, if you please," put in Mr Pamphlett suavely. "You will
allow that, not being accustomed to little girls and not knowing
therefore how a pert child should properly be chastised and brought
to book, I have been uncommonly patient with this one. But you are
mistaken, the pair of you, in taking this line with me: and your
mistake, though it comes from ignorance of the law, may happen to
cost you both pretty dearly." He paused, while Nicky-Nan and 'Beida
exchanged glances.

"Don't you heed him," said 'Beida encouragingly. "He's only gassin'
again." But she faced up for a new attack.

"I have reason to believe," continued Mr Pamphlett, ignoring her and
wagging his forefinger at Nicky; "I have evidence going far to
convince me that this money of which we are talking is not yours at
all: that you never earned it by your own labour, nor inherited it,
nor were left it in any legitimate way. In other words, you were
just lucky enough to find it."

"What's that to _you?_"

"It concerns me to this extent. By the-common law of England all
such money, so discovered, belongs to the Crown: though I understand
it is usually shared equally among the Crown, the finder, and the
lord of the manor on which it was hidden. Therefore by concealing
your knowledge of this money you are illegally defrauding His
Majesty, and in fact (if you found it anywhere in Polpier) swindling
me, who own the manor rights of Trebursey and Trethake, which
together cover every square inch of this town. I bought them from
Squire Tresawna these ten years since. And"--he turned upon 'Beida--
"any one who hides, or helps to hide, such money is an accomplice,
and may go to prison for it. _Now_ what have you to say?"

But Mr Pamphlett had missed to calculate Nicky-Nan's recklessness and
the strength of old hatred.

"'Say'?" Nicky shook with passion. "I say you're tellin' up a
parcel o' lies you can't prove. Do _I_ step into _your_ dam Bank an'
ask where you picked up the coin?--No? Well then, get out o' this
an' take your Policeman with 'ee. Fend off, I say!" he sn