"What idle tale are you inventing?" he said at length.
"It is no idle tale," replied the Tinker boldly. "Ve can bring a vitness as'll prove the fact—a livin' vitness."
"What witness?" cried Auriol.
"Don't you reckilect the dwarf as used to serve Doctor Lamb?" rejoined the Tinker. "He's alive still; and ve calls him Old Parr, on account of his great age."
"Where is he?—what has become of him?" demanded Auriol.
"Oh, ve'll perduce him in doo time," replied the Tinker cunningly.
"But tell me where the poor fellow is?" cried Auriol. "Have you seen him since last night? I sent him to a public-house at Kensington, but he has disappeared from it, and I can discover no traces of him."
"He'll turn up somewhere—never fear," rejoined the Tinker. "But now, sir, that ve fairly understands each other, are you agreeable to our terms? You shall give us an order for the money, and ve'll undertake, on our parts, not to mislest you more."
"The pocket-book must be delivered up to me if I assent," said Auriol, "and the poor dwarf must be found."
"Vy, as to that, I can scarcely promise," replied the Tinker; "there's a difficulty in the case, you see. But the pocket-book'll never be brought aginst you—you may rest assured o' that."