“No, there’s nothing,” he went on. “You’re kept busy, I’m sure?”
“Huh-huh.”
“And maybe you don’t get too much money for it, either?”
The boy indicated that this was a true summary of his case.
“Well, how would half a crown for a little job for me suit you?”
The gleam in the boy’s eyes was sufficient answer.
“It’s just a little bit of information between you and me. No one else would know anything about it. It wouldn’t take you two minutes to give it to me. Are you on?”
“Ain’t I, gov’nor? You just try me.”
French took some money out of his pocket and slowly counted out two single shillings and a sixpence. These he laid on the table in a little pile.
“Tell me, sonny,” he said. “You had to take a message out this morning shortly after eleven?”