Mr. Effingham swore a sharp oath, and even Mr. Griffiths looked disconcerted.
"Come along," said the former,--"we've wasted time enough with the pottering old fool, who's only selling us, and--"
"Vait a minute," said Mr. Lyons, laying his hand on the other's arm,--"vait a minute, ma tear. Though I haven't got the leetle bill myself, perhaps I know who has."
"That's likely enough," said Griffiths, "well, who has?"
"Ah, that's tellings, ma tear. I shall vant--just a leetle something to say."
"I'll give this," said Effingham, producing a sovereign.
"Vell, it ain't enough; but you're such headstrong fellows. There!" said Mr. Lyons, slipping it into his pocket; "now do either of you know a gal who was under Tony Butler's thumb at vun time, but who hated him mortal, and vos very sveet on vun of Tony's friends?"
"I do!" cried Griffiths; "Lizzie Ponsford."
"That's the same; a fine gal too, a reg'lar fine gal. Vell, I'd no sooner got Tony's traps over at my place than that gal comes to me, and she says, 'You've got a desk that b'longed to Tony Butler,' she says. And ven I says 'yes,' she offered me a pound for it. It vosn't vuth five shillings; so I knew there vos something in it she vanted, though I'd hunted it through and found nothin' but old diaries and memorandums and such-like. 'I von't sell it,' I says. 'May I look at it?' she says. 'You may,' I says; and vith that I fetched it down; and ven she see it, she touched a spring, and out flew a secret drawer vith this bill in it. 'Hands off,' I says, for she vos going to clutch it at vunce. 'Let me have it,' she says; 'I'll pay for it.' So I looked at it, and saw it had been overdue eighteen months, and reckleckted hearin' it was all wrong; so I says, 'Vot'll you give?' 'A sovereign,' she says. 'Make it two, and it's yours,' I says. So, after a little, she give me two skivs, and she took the bill and valked away vith it."
Mr. Effingham looked at Griffiths, and the latter returned the glance.