how much'll you give."

Dr. Mountchance named a sum ridiculously low so Sally thought. Then
ensued a long haggle which was settled at last by a compromise and Sally
departed.

As she hurried back to her lodgings in the Borough, Sally was quite
unaware that Rofflash, disguised as a beggar with a black patch over his
eye and a dirty red handkerchief tied over his head in place of his wig,
was stealthily shadowing her.

CHAPTER IX

"YOU WERE BRAVE AND FOUGHT FOR ME"

Meanwhile Lavinia was hastening to Grub Street. On her way she bought a
pair of shoes which if not quite in the _mode_ were at least fellows.
She also cleverly talked the shopkeeper into allowing her something on
the discarded odd ones and thereby saved a shilling.

The girl's old life in roaming about the streets had sharpened her wits.
Adversity had taught her much. It had given her a knowledge of persons
and things denied to those to whom life had always been made easy. She
had had sundry acquaintances among the pretty orange girls who plied
their trade at Drury Lane and the Duke's theatres and had got to know
how useful Dr. Mountchance was in buying presents bestowed upon them by
young bloods flushed with wine, and in other ways. Hence when in want of
money she looked upon her brooch she at once thought of the old man's
shop on London Bridge.

The taverns in those days were real houses of refreshment. Food could be
had at most of them as well as drink. Still a girl needed some courage
to enter. The men she might meet were ready to make free in far too
familiar a fashion. Lavinia stopped in front of the "Green Dragon" near
the Cripples Gate, but hesitated. Many months had passed since the time
when she would have boldly walked into the galleried inn-yard and asked
for what she wanted. The refining influence of Miss Pinwell's genteel
establishment had made her loathe the low life in which her early years
had been passed.

"They can't eat me," she thought. "Besides, the poor fellow is
starving."

The place was fairly quiet. One or two men of a group drinking and
gossipping winked at each other when they caught sight of her pretty
face, but they said nothing and she got what she asked for, a cold
chicken, bread and a bottle of wine.

Lavinia hastened to Grub Street. She ran up the dirty narrow ricketty
stairs, her heart palpitating with excitement, and she knocked at the
garret door. It was opened immediately, Lancelot Vane stood in the
d