"Well—we shall see," exclaimed Old Death. "I should like to secure her in my interests."
"What did you do with the letter she wrote to Tom Rain?" asked Mrs. Bunce.
"Put it back into the post," was the reply. "Fancy if Esther and Tom did get together again, and, on comparing notes, he found that the letter from her had miscarried, he might suspect a trick somewhere, and fix foul play on me. No—no: it was more prudent to let the note go, since I had gathered its contents."
"Well—perhaps it was," said Mrs. Bunce. "One thing is very clear, Ben——"
"What's that, Betsy?"
"Why—that since Esther isn't any longer with Mr. Rainford in the Fields, it will be much easier to get the little boy away."
"I thought of that just now," said Old Death: then, after a pause, he added, "And I'll tell you what's to be done. The boy most be got into our power to-morrow night."
"To-morrow night!" repeated Mrs. Bunce.
"Yes—to-morrow night," returned Bones emphatically. "I'll trump up something to get Tom out of the way; and me, Toby, and Jacob, will go over and kidnap the child. If we don't do it quick, the Jewess will be getting spooney on Tom again and going back to live with him in spite of her oath to her father; and then we may not find such another chance for some time to come."
Mrs. Bunce smiled an approval of this scheme, and was about to offer a comment, when a knock summoned her to the front-door.