“Go on,” said the other prisoner. “I acknowledge that it was not your fault, but those who bribed you. Go on; I will not again interrupt you.”
“Well, as I said, out comes the murder,” said the gipsy, in continuation.
“Jim followed me when away from the stables like my shadow, till late one evening he got me into a by-lane.
“I saw something was a coming from the expression of his countenance, and I was not mistaken.
“‘I want to say a few words to you upon business matters,’ said he.
“‘All right,’ ses I; ‘fire away. I’m all ears.’
“‘Well,’ he murmured, ‘this is a queer world, and there are a lot of queer people in it. Some on ’em are fools, and some are rogues. If you try to live honestly you are doomed to remain a beggar, or next door to one.’
“‘I found that out a long time ago.’
“‘Did you? Ah, I suppose so. I think we shall be able to understand one another.’
“‘Ah, I dare say we shall—leastways, I hope so. I aint too particular, you know.’