He said, “Thomas, are these not two policemen in plain clothes?” Thomas said they were. He knew one of them—naming him as the famous M——.
Peace was frightened for the moment, but was reassured when Thomas told him they had come to inquire about a “Long Firm” case, mentioning one man he knew they were after.
“Oh! ——,” said Peace, “the damned old scamp! Why can’t he get his living in an honest way?”
Had the famous M—— known he was in sight of the Bannercross murderer, I fancy he would have let the other “old scamp” slide for the moment.
Thomas tells me that Peace did not go out much after his pony died.
That event seemed to take the heart out of him. He was accustomed to trot his pony very fast, and he always went out in the afternoon “prospecting.”
When his pony became ill he showed the greatest solicitude for its recovery, walking it up and down at a most gingerly pace, and stroking it tenderly, while nothing was too good for it to wear, or too expensive for it to take.
Mrs. Thompson used to tell Mrs. Long that, however great a villain he was, he was very kind to dumb creatures, and would not let anyone hurt a hair of their heads.
Mrs. Long has got his favourite black cat, and is very anxious to get possession of “Rosie,” a dog which had a great liking for Mrs. Thompson.
Once, when Peace struck her, Rosie sprang at him and bit him severely.