"'None now,' replied the boy; 'but there's been a power of Chinkies
hereabouts all the evenin', an' 'arf an hour ago there was a gent in a
cloak.'

"Without waiting to hear any more the woman entered the house and I
followed close on her heels. The adventure was clearly coming to a head
now.

"When the door had been closed behind us the boy appeared at the top of
a flight of stairs with a lighted candle. We accordingly ascended to
him, and having done so made our way towards a door at the end of the
abominably dirty landing. At intervals I could hear the sound of
coughing coming from a room at the end. My companion, however, bade me
stop, while she went herself into the room, shutting the door after her.
I was left alone with the boy, who immediately took me under his
protection, and for my undivided benefit performed a series of highly
meritorious acrobatic performances upon the feeble banisters, to his own
danger, but apparent satisfaction. Suddenly, just as he was about to
commence what promised to be the most successful item in his
_repertoire_, he paused, lay flat on his stomach upon the floor, and
craned his head over the side, where once banisters had been, and gazed
into the half dark well below. All was quiet as the grave. Then, without
warning, an almond-eyed, pigtailed head appeared on the stairs and
looked upwards. Before I could say anything to stop him, the youth had
divested himself of his one slipper, taken it in his right hand, leaned
over a bit farther, and struck the ascending Celestial a severe blow on
the mouth with the heel of it. There was the noise of a hasty descent
and the banging of the street door a moment later, then all was still
again, and the youngster turned to me.

"'That was Ah Chong,' he said confidentially. 'He's the sixth Chinkie
I've landed that way since dark.'

"This important piece of information he closed with a double-jointed
oath of remarkable atrocity, and, having done so, would have recommenced
the performance of acrobatic feats had I not stopped him by asking the
reason of his action. He looked at me with a grin,--

"'I dunno, but all I cares is that China Pete in there gives me a sprat
(sixpence) for every Chinkie what I keeps out of the 'ouse. He's a rum
one is China Pete; an' can't he cough--my word!" he concluded.

"I was about to put another question when the door opened and the girl
who had brought me to the house beckoned me into the room. I entered and
sh