ROBS A GENTLEMAN IN SWITHIN'S ALLEY.

301

blamed; the gentlemen are in great hurries, their heads and thoughts entirely taken up, and it is impossible they should be guarded enough against such little hawk's-eyed creatures as we were; and, therefore, they ought either never to put their pocket-books up at all, or to put them up more secure, or to put nothing of value into them. I happened to be just opposite to this gentleman in that they call Swithin'salley; or that alley rather which is between Swithin's-alley and the Exchange, just by a passage that goes out of the alley into the Exchange; when seeing the book pass and repass into the pocket, and out of the pocket as above, it came immediately into my head, certainly I might get that pocket-book out if I were nimble, and I warrant Will would have it, if he saw it go and come to and again as I did; but when I saw it hang by the way, as I have said; now it is mine, said I to myself, and, crossing the alley, I brushed smoothly, but closely, by the man, with my hand down flat to my own side, and, taking hold of it by the corner that appeared, the book came so light into my hand, it was impossible the gentleman should feel the least motion, or anybody else see me take it away. I went directly forward into the broad place on the north side of the Exchange, then scoured down Bartholomew-lane, so into Tokenhouseyard, into the alleys which pass through from thence to London-wall, so through Moorgate, and sat down on the grass in the second of the quarters of Moorfields, towards the middle field; which was the place that Will and I had appointed to meet at if either of us got any booty. When I came thither, Will was not come, but I saw him a coming in about half an hour.

As soon as Will came to me, I asked him what booty he had gotten? He looked pale, and, as I thought, frighted; but he returned, I have got nothing, not I; but, you lucky young dog, says he, what have you got? Have not you got the gentleman's pocket-book in Swithin's-alley? Yes, says I, and laughed at him; why, how did you know it? Know it says he, why the gentleman is raving and half distracted; he stamps and cries, and tears his very clothes; he says he is utterly undone and ruined, and the folks in the alley say there is I know not how many thousand pounds in it; what can be in it? says Will; come, let us see.

Well, we lay close in the grass in the middle of the quarter, so that nobody minded us; and so we opened the pocket-book, and there was a great many bills and notes under men's hands; some goldsmiths', and some belonging to insurance offices, as they call them, and the like; but that which was it seems worth all the rest was that in one of the folds of the cover of the book, where there was a case with several partitions, there was a paper full of loose diamonds. The man, as we understood afterward, was a Jew, who dealt in such goods, and who indeed ought to have taken more care of the keeping of them.

Now was this booty too great, even for Will himself, to manage; for though by this time I was come to understand things better than I did formerly, when I knew not what belonged to money; yet Will was better skilled by far in those things than I. But this puzzled him too, as well as me. Now were we something like the cock in the fable; for all these bills, and I think there was one bill of Sir Henry Furness's for 12007., and all these diamonds, which were worth about 1507., as they said; I say, all these things were of no value to us, one little purse of gold would have been better to us than all of it. But come, says Will, let us look over the bills for a little one.

We looked over all the bills, and, among them, we found a bill under a man's hand for 32l.; Come, says Will, let us go and inquire where this man lives. So he went into the city again, and Will went to the post-house, and asked there; they told him he lived at Temple-bar: Well, says Will, I will venture, I'll go and receive the money; it may be he has not remembered to send to stop the payment there.

But it came into his thoughts to take another course; Come, says Will, I'll go back to the alley, and see if I can hear anything of what has happened, for I believe the hurry is not over yet. It seems the man, who lost the book, was carried into the King's-head tavern, at the end of that alley, and a great crowd was about the door.

Away goes Will, and watches and waits about the place; and then, seeing several people together, for they were not all dispersed, he asks one or two what was the matter; they tell him a long story of a gentleman who had lost his pocketbook, with a great bag of diamonds in it, and bills for a great

ENGAGES TO RECOVER THE POCKET-BOOK.

803

many thousand pounds, and I know not what; and that they had been just crying it, and had offered 1007. reward to any one who would discover and restore it.

I wish, said he, to one of them that parleyed with him, I did but know who has it, I don't doubt but I could help him to it again; does he remember nothing of anybody, boy, or fellow, that was near him? if he could but describe him, it might do. Somebody that overheard him was so forward to assist the poor gentleman, that they went up and let him know what a youug fellow, meaning Will, had been talking at the door; and down comes another gentleman from him, and, taking Will aside, asked him what he had said about it? Will was a grave sort of a young man, that, though he was an old soldier at the trade, had yet nothing of it in his countenance; and he answered, that he was concerned in business where a great many of the gangs of little pickpockets haunted, and if he had but the least description of the person they suspected, he durst say he could find him out, and might perhaps get the things again for him. Upon this, he desired him to go up with him to the gentleman, which he did accordingly; and there, he said, he sat leaning his head back to the chair, pale as a cloth; disconsolate to a strange degree, and, as Will described him, just like one under a sentence.

When they came to ask him, whether he had seen no boy, or shabby fellow, lurking near where he stood, or passing, or repassing, and the like, he answered, No, not any; neither could he remember that anybody had come near him. Then, said Will, it will be very hard, if not impossible, to find them out. However, said Will, if you think it worth while, I will put myself among those rogues, though, says he, I care not for being seen among them; but I will put in among them, and if it be in any of those gangs, it is ten to one but I shall hear something of it.

They asked him then, if he had heard what terms the gentleman had offered to have it restored; he answered, No (though he had been told at the door); they answered, He had offered 100l. That is too much, says Will; but if you please to leave it to me, I shall either get it for you for less than that, or not be able to get it for you at all. Then the losing gentleman said to one of the other, Tell him, that if he can get it lower, the overplus shall be to himself. William

said, He would be very glad to do the gentleman such a service, and would leave the reward to himself. Well, young

man, says one of the gentlemen, whatever you appoint to the young artist that has done this roguery (for I warrant he is an artist, let it be who it will), he shall be paid, if it be within the 1007., and the gentleman is willing to give you 501. besides for your pains.

Truly, sir, says Will, very gravely, it was by mere chance, that, coming by the door, and seeing the crowd, I asked what the matter was? but if I should be instrumental to get the unfortunate gentleman his pocket-book, and the things in it again, I shall be very glad; nor am I so rich neither, sir, but 50%. is very well worth my while too. Then he took directions who to come to, and who to give his account to if he learned anything, and the like.

CHAPTER IV.

WILL RETURNS THE POCKET-BOOK AND OBTAINS THE REWARD-WE ROB AN OLD KNIGHT IN SMITHFIELD OF A BAG OF MONEY-OTHER ADVENTURES, IN ALL OF WHICH WE ARE SUCCESSFUL-THE NOTION OF MY BEING A GENTLEMAN, WHICH I ALWAYS ENTERTAIN, KEEPS ME FROM SWEARING, DRINKING, AND SUCH LIKE VICES -WILL SEDUCES ME TO BECOME HIGHWAYMAN-ADVENTURES ON THE ROAD.

If

WILL stayed so long, that, as he and I agreed, I went home, and he did not come to me till night; for we had considered before, that it would not be proper to come from them directly to me, lest they should follow him and apprehend me. he had made no advances towards a treaty, he would have come back in half an hour, as we agreed; but staying late, we met at our night rendezvous, which was in Rosemarylane.

When he came, he gave an account of all the discourse, and particularly what a consternation the gentleman was in who lost the pocket-book, and that he did not doubt but we should get a good round sum for the recovery of it.

We consulted all the evening about it, and concluded he should let them hear nothing of them the next day at all;

ACCEPTATION OF HIS OFFER.

305

and that the third day he should go, but should make no discovery, only that he had got a scent of it, and that he believed he should have it, and make it appear as difficult as possible, and to start as many objections as he could. Accordingly, the third day after he met with the gentleman, who he found had been uneasy at his long stay, and told him, they were afraid that he only flattered them to get from them; and that they had been too easy in letting him go without a farther examination.

He took upon him to be very grave with them, and told them, That if that was what he was like to have for being so free as to tell them he thought he might serve them, they might see that they had wronged him, and were mistaken by his coming again to them; that if they thought they could do anything by examining him, they might go about it, if they pleased, now; that all he had to say to them was, that he knew where some of the young rogues haunted, who were famous for such things; and that by some inquiries, offering them money, and the like, he believed they would be brought to betray one another, and that so he might pick it out for them; and this he would say before a justice of peace, if they thought fit; and then all that he had to say farther to them, was, to tell them, he had lost a day or two in their service, and had got nothing, but to be suspected for his pains; and that after that he had done, and they might seek their goods where they could find them.

They began to listen a little upon that, and asked him, if he could give them any hopes of recovering their loss; he told them, that he was not afraid to tell them that he believed he had heard some news of them, and that what he had done, had prevented all the bills being burnt, book and all; but that now he ought not to be asked any more questions till they should be pleased to answer him a question or two. They told him they would give him any satisfaction they could, and bid him tell what he desired.

Why, sir, says he, how can you expect any thief that had robbed you to such a considerable value as this, would come and put himself into your hands, confess he had your goods, and restore them to you, if you do not give them assurance that you will not only give them the reward you agreed to, but also give assurance that they shall not be stopped, questioned, or called to account before a magistrate?

X