"Dock rats," said De Clare, and then as though the devil guided them to
protect his own, two huge rats scurried upward from between the loose
boards, and ran squealing up the dark alley.

"Right you are," said De Montfort, "but I could have sworn 'twas a child's
feeble wail had I not seen the two filthy rodents with mine own eyes.
Come, let us to the next vile alley. We have met with no success here,
though that old hag who called herself Til seemed overanxious to bargain
for the future information she seemed hopeful of being able to give us."

As they moved off, their voices grew fainter in the ears of the listeners
beneath the dock and soon were lost in the distance.

"A close shave," thought De Vac, as he again took up the child and prepared
to gain the dock. No further noises occurring to frighten him, he soon
reached the door to Til's house and, inserting the key, crept noiselessly
to the garret room which he had rented from his ill-favored hostess.

There were no stairs from the upper floor to the garret above, this ascent
being made by means of a wooden ladder which De Vac pulled up after him,
closing and securing the aperture, through which he climbed with his
burden, by means of a heavy trapdoor equipped with thick bars.

The apartment which they now entered extended across the entire east end of
the building, and had windows upon three sides. These were heavily
curtained. The apartment was lighted by a small cresset hanging from a
rafter near the center of the room.

The walls were unplastered and the rafters unceiled; the whole bearing a