little doorway of the building he sought. At length he came upon it, and,
after repeated pounding with the pommel of his sword, it was opened by a
slatternly old hag.

"What would ye of a decent woman at such an ungodly hour ?" she grumbled.
"Ah, 'tis ye, my lord ?" she added, hastily, as the flickering rays of the
candle she bore lighted up De Vac's face. "Welcome, my Lord, thrice
welcome. The daughter of the devil welcomes her brother."

"Silence, old hag," cried De Vac. "Is it not enough that you leech me of
good marks of such a quantity that you may ever after wear mantles of
villosa and feast on simnel bread and malmsey, that you must needs burden
me still further with the affliction of thy vile tongue ?

"Hast thou the clothes ready bundled and the key, also, to this gate to
perdition ? And the room: didst set to rights the furnishings I had
delivered here, and sweep the century-old accumulation of filth and cobwebs
from the floor and rafters ? Why, the very air reeked of the dead Romans
who builded London twelve hundred years ago. Methinks, too, from the
stink, they must have been Roman swineherd who habited this sty with their
herds, an' I venture that thou, old sow, hast never touched broom to the
place for fear of disturbing the ancient relics of thy kin."

"Cease thy babbling, Lord Satan," cried the woman. "I would rather hear
thy money talk than thou, for though it come accursed and tainted from thy
rogue hand, yet it speaks with the same sweet and commanding voice as it
were fresh from the coffers of the holy church.

"The bundle is ready," she continued, closing the door after De Vac, who
had now entered, "and here be the key; but first let us have a payment. I