He was very communicative to Peace and Raynton, the three companions in crime being the only occupants of the carriage.
“Well, old man,” said Raynton, “you’ll be a little more careful how you ‘sling your hook’ after this dose, I expect.”
“I shall be as careful as possible, but lor bless ye, a cove may be as careful and artful as blazes, but he’s bound to be ‘pinched’ sooner or later. Can’t be helped, it’s part of the business.”
“That’s right enough,” remarked Peace; “but what places do you work as a general rule?”
“I used to do all sorts of places, but my ‘lay’ lately has been chiefly in the churches or chapels. I used to tog myself up in black with a white ‘squeeze’ on Sunday, and go to two or three different places of worship. I dare say you’ll be a little surprised when I tell ye that I’ve ’eard all the crack preachers in London, and, except when the May meetings were on at Exeter Hall I never went crooked any other day but Sunday. I used to do a bit in the smashing line; that was when I had a clever partner—but she’s dead and gone now.”
“She! Did you have a woman for a partner?” said Raynton.
“Why, of course; I’ve had several. I never had nothing to do with any ‘Moll’ who couldn’t cut her own grass” (earn her own living).
“Oh, I see.”
“But after she turned me up—which she did long afore she died—I stuck to the light-fingered business. You see, every man has his own particular ‘lay.’ Some go to public meetings, to races, fairs, and such like, but I always stuck to the churches and chapels, and did a quiet respectable business. A cove does better in the high church, where there’s a lot of show and singing. The people there have got plenty of money, but I took precious good care not to go to one place twice within a month; but then you see there’s plenty of them, and so there’s no call to be too hard upon one establishment. But you must have a crowded congregation, else it’s not a morsel of good trying to work it; besides it aint safe.”
“Safe or not,” said the burglar, “it seems you got ‘pinched’ in one of your pet places.”