His answer was, that it would
not be convenient to him to call till between six and seven in
the evening. In this way, you see, he contrived to make me lose
several precious hours, at a time when minutes almost were of
importance. I had nothing for it but to be patient, and to give
certain instructions, before Mr. Davager came, to my boy Tom.
There never was such a sharp boy of fourteen before, and there
never will be again, as my boy Tom. A spy to look after Mr.
Davager was, of course, the first requisite in a case of this
kind; and Tom was the smallest, quickest, quietest, sharpest,
stealthiest little snake of a chap that ever dogged a gentleman's
steps and kept cleverly out of range of a gentleman's eyes. I
settled it with the boy that he was not to show at all when Mr.
Davager came; and that he was to wait to hear me ring the bell
when Mr. Davager left. If I rang twice, he was to show the
gentleman out. If I rang once, he was to keep out of the way, and
follow the gentleman whereever he went till he got back to the
inn. Those were the only preparations I could make to begin with;
being obliged to wait, and let myself be guided by what turned
up.
About a quarter to seven my gentleman came.
In the profession of the law we get somehow quite remarkably
mixed up with ugly people, blackguard people, and dirty people.
But far away the ugliest and dirtiest blackguard I ever saw in my
life was Mr.
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