And while he is thus engaged in meditation, we will lay before our readers a translation of the slang document:—
"Tim dressed himself in rags yesterday, and went out disguised as a beggar half-naked and without shoes or stockings. He robbed a gentleman and a lady of a watch and a purse. His mistress Mutton-Face Sal, with her reticule, and looking like a respectable female, was on the look-out close at hand. A confederate-thief, who went shares with Tim, suddenly gave the alarm, so that Tim might hand him over the plunder; and Tim saw that a person was watching him. So he hurried off home, while his woman got off safely also. To-day Tim sent the watch to have the works taken out and put in another case and to get the maker's name altered; but the watch-maker informed against him through spite, because Tim's mistress had passed off on him (the watch-maker) a bad sixpence and half-crown last week. So Tim wasn't wary enough, and was taken into custody. The purse had three five-pound notes and a sovereign in it, which I have got at Thompson's lodging-house, No. 23, where I will hand them over to you if you will try and get Tim off. A sharp boy-thief will leave this letter."
The signature "Twenty-Five" indicated the number attached to the writer's name in Old Death's private list of those thieves who were accustomed to do business with him.
"Any thing new?" inquired Mrs. Bunce, handing him a glass of hot gin-and-water.
"Nothing particular," was the reply. "Only Tim the Snammer[[2]] got himself into a scrape. But I shall go and see about it directly."
"Tim isn't on your list—is he?" demanded Mrs. Bunce.
"No: but Josh Pedler—that's Number Twenty-five—has got Tim's money, and will hand it over to me. So——"
A loud knock at the door interrupted Old Death's observation.
Jacob was sent to answer the summons; and in a few moments Tom Rain walked jauntily into the room.
"Well, my prince of fences," he exclaimed, addressing Old Death, as he cast himself unceremoniously into a chair, and stretched out his legs in a free and independent manner, "any thing new in the wind?"