Meg looked up in doubt and fear to the face of her red-haired relative, and meeting his eye, and seeing him nod and wink at her, she slipped the necklace into her bosom, and answered the child, calling herself by the name he had given her:
“Yes, pretty! Met will keep it for Lenny. (Yes, and I will, too, if I can,”) she added, in a lower tone. But she probably knew also that the jewels must pass back into the custody of the red-haired ruffian before the night should be over.
But Lenny’s attention was instantly called away to another quarter. In fact, he needed to be constantly on the alert to prevent himself from being stripped and skinned by the thieves.
“You ’top, man!” he indignantly exclaimed to Black Bill, who was stealing the pearl and turquoise armlets from his sleeve. “Div Lenny back, minute!” he cried, making a snatch at the jewels.
Black Bill probably felt safe in relinquishing his prizes, for the time being; for as soon as he restored them to Lenny, the child passed them over to the appointed keeper of the jewels, saying:
“Met, teep dem too for Lenny.”
And the girl, with a smile, put them also in her bosom.
But presently this chosen servant seemed turning traitor to her little lord, for while his attention was for a moment called off elsewhere, he felt hands at work upon his pretty little blue kid gaiters, with their gold buttons.
“’Top dat, Met! ’Top it! Met! What you pull off my hoos for? Me not do bed. ’Top it, Met!” he cried, this time less in anger than in anguish to see such treachery in a trusted servant.
“Oh! I want ’em so bad! so bad! Won’t you give ’em to me? Won’t Lenny give ’em to Met?” pleaded the girl, in a wheedling tone.