Peace took great pleasure in places of this description, and found no difficulty at any time in spending hours therein.
But Bandy-legged Bill had no taste for anything of the kind.
If it had been a horse-fair or a cattle-show he would have been greatly pleaded; but he made the best of it, and listened complacently enough to his companion’s explanation of the several articles on view.
After emerging from the museum, they wandered through the green lanes, and when the dusk of the evening set in, they took the sack from its place of concealment, and Peace went with it to Sheffield by train.
Upon arriving at the Victoria station, he booked for Manchester, and took the whole of the stolen property with him.
The gipsy remained behind, with the understanding that he was to call at Peace’s house on the following day.
At Manchester Peace managed to dispose of the whole of the property, and netted thereby a considerable sum of money, as at that time seal skins were all “the rage,” and those he had obtained were of the choicest quality, and cut according to the newest, and therefore most fashionable, patterns.
He did not get nearly their value, but burglars, as a rule, sell the produce of their robberies at ridiculously low prices, the receiver having in all cases the best of the bargain.
It was singular that Peace, considering the enormous amount of property that fell into his hands during his career, should not have amassed a large sum of money, but it seldom happens that the professional thief or burglar, however successful he might be, is enabled to put much by out of his ill-gotten gains.
There are many reasons for this. Few of them are provident, and nearly all are in the hands of the receivers, and money come by dishonestly goes as fast as it is gained.