some of them, and opened all the drawers which Walker had not locked
before his departure. He only found three-halfpence and a bill
stamp, and about forty-five tradesmen's accounts, neatly labelled
and tied up with red tape. These three worthies, a groom who was a
great admirer of Trimmer the lady's-maid, and a policeman a friend
of the cook's, sat down to a comfortable dinner at the usual hour,
and it was agreed among them all that Walker's ruin was certain.
The cook made the policeman a present of a china punch-bowl which
Mrs. Walker had given her; and the lady's-maid gave her friend the
"Book of Beauty" for last year, and the third volume of Byron's
poems from the drawing-room table.

"I'm dash'd if she ain't taken the little French clock, too," said
the page, and so indeed Mrs. Walker had; it slipped in the basket
where it lay enveloped in one of her shawls, and then struck madly
and unnaturally a great number of times, as Morgiana was lifting her
store of treasures out of the hackney-coach. The coachman wagged
his head sadly as he saw her walking as quick as she could under her
heavy load, and disappearing round the corner of the street at which
Mr. Balls's celebrated jewellery establishment is situated. It is a
grand shop, with magnificent silver cups and salvers, rare
gold-headed canes, flutes, watches, diamond brooches, and a few fine
specimens of the old masters in the window, and under the words--

BALLS, JEWELLER,

you read

Money Lent.