"Good. When shall you commence business?"
"I opened my shop last night," replied Tom with a hearty laugh.
"Nonsense!" cried the old man, fixing a glance of delight upon his new friend. "You don't mean to say that——In a word, is this yours?"
As he spoke, Old Death drew from his pocket the morning's newspaper, pointed to a particular advertisement, and held the journal towards his companion.
Tom Rain's countenance was overclouded for a moment; but almost immediately afterwards it expanded into an expression of mingled surprise and satisfaction; and snapping his fingers joyfully, he exclaimed, "Is it possible? could it have been her? Oh! this business is speedily settled!"
And rising from his seat, he rang the bell violently.
A pot-boy answered the summons.
"Pen, ink, and paper, and a messenger to carry a letter," said Tom Rain, with extraordinary rapidity of utterance.
The boy disappeared; and Old Death, recovering partially from the astonishment into which his companion's ejaculations and manner on reading the advertisement had thrown him, exclaimed, "What the devil are you after now?"
"You shall see in a moment," was the reply; "but I don't promise you any explanation of what you will see," he added with another hearty laugh.