you said, with uncommon good sense, that it was nothing to me what Mr.
Waife had once been, so long as he was of use to me at that particular
season. Since then, sir, he has ceased to be of use,--ceased, too, in
the unhandsomest manner. And if you would, ma'am, from a sense of
justice, just unravel the mystery, put me in possession of the secret,
it might make that base man of use to me again, give me a handle over
him, sir, so that I might awe him into restoring my property, as, morally
speaking, Juliet Araminta most undoubtedly is. That's why I call,--
leaving my company, to which I am a father, orphans for the present. But
I have missed that little girl,--that young lady, sir. I called her a
phenomenon, ma'am; missed her much: it is natural, sir, I appeal to you.
No man can be done out of a valuable property and not feel it, if he has
a heart in his bosom. And if I had her back safe, I should indulge
ambition. I have always had ambition. The theatre at York, sir,--that
is my ambition; I had it from a child, sir; dreamed of it three tunes,
ma'am. If I had back my property in that phenomenon, I would go at the
thing, slap-bang, take the York, and bring out the phenomenon with A
CLAW!"

LOSELY (musingly).--"You say the young lady is a phenomenon, and for this
phenomenon you are willing to pay something handsome,--a vague
expression. Put it into L. s. d."

RUGGE.--"Sir, if she can be bound to me legally for three years, I would
give L100. I did offer to Waife L50,--to you, sir, L100."

Losely's eyes flashed, and his hands opened restlessly. "But, confound
it, where is she? Have you no clew?"

RUGGE.--"No, but we can easily find one; it was not worth my while to