Mr. Dingwell groaned; and two or three minutes more elapsed, and silence seemed to have re-established itself in the darkened chamber, when Mr. Dingwell raised himself up with a sudden effort, and he said—
"Sarah Rumble, fetch me my desk." Which she did, from his sitting-room.
"Put your hand under the bolster, and you'll find two keys on a ring, and a pocket-book. Yes. Now, Sarah Rumble, unlock that desk. Very good. Put out the papers on the coverlet before me; first bolt the door. Thank you, ma'am. There are a parcel of letters among those, tied across with a red silk cord—just so. Put them in my hand—thank you—and place all the rest back again neatly—neatly, if you please. Now lock the desk; replace it, and come here; but first give me pen and ink, and bolt the door—try it again."
And as she did so he scrawled an address upon the blank paper in which these letters were wrapt.
The brown visage of his grave landlady was graver than ever, as she returned to listen for further orders.
"Mrs. Sarah Rumble, I take you for an honest person; and as I may die this time, I make a particular request of you—take this little packet, and slip it between the feather-bed and the mattress, as near the centre as your arm will reach—thank you—remember it's there. If I die, ma'am, you'll find a ten-pound note wrapped about it, which I give to you; you need not thank—that will do. The letters addressed as they are you will deliver, without showing them, or saying one word to anyone but to the gentleman himself, into whose hands you must deliver them. You understand?"
"Yes, sir, please; I'm listening."
"Well, attend. There are two Jew gentlemen—your landlord, Mr. Levi, and the old Jew, who have been with me once or twice—you know them; that makes two; and there is Mr. Larkin, the tall gentleman who has been twice here with them, with the lavender waistcoat and trousers, the eye-glass with the black ribbon, the black frock coat—heigho! oh, dear, my head!—the red grizzled whiskers, and bald head."
"The religious gentleman, please, sir?"
"Exactly; the religious gentleman. Well, attend. The two Jews and the religious gentleman together make three; and those three gentlemen are robbers."