"And you found this in the wood, Joe?" he enquired sleepily.
"I did, sir. With that to help 'em, the perlice would have the murdering cove in no time, and more than once I've been going to hand it over to 'em. But then I thought I'd better wait a bit; if you died was time enough, an' if you didn't I'd keep it for you—so, sir, there it is."
"You did quite right, Joe. Yes, you did very right indeed!"
For a long moment Ravenslee sat languidly twisting the button in thin white fingers, then flicked it far out over the balustrade down among the dense evergreens in the garden below. The Old Un gasped, Joe gaped, and the Spider sighed audibly.
"Lorgorramighty! Oh, Guv, Guv—" quavered the old man, "you've throwed away our cloo—our blood-cloo—th' p'lice—you've lost our evidence—"
"Old Un, of course I have! You see, I don't like clews, or blood, or the police. You have all been clever enough, wise enough to keep this confounded business quiet, and so will I—"
"But, oh, Guv, arter somebody tryin' t' kill ye like a dog—ain't there goin' t' be no vengeance, no gallers-tree, no 'lectric chair nor nothin'—"
"Nothing!" answered Ravenslee gently. "Somebody tried to kill me, but somebody didn't kill me; here I am, getting stronger every day, so we'll let it go at that."
"Why then—I'm done!" said the Old Un, rising.
"Guv, you're crool an' stony-'carted! 'Ere 's me, a pore old cove as has been dreamin' an' dreamin' o' gallers-trees an' 'lectric chairs, and 'ere 's you been an' took 'em off me! Guv, I'm disapp'inted wi' ye. Oh, ingratitood, thou art the Guv!" So saying, the Old Un clapped on his hat and creaked indignantly away.