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"Well," said I, "so you want the count?"

"I do," said be, "and pretty badly; but it's not this time, I fancy. He's a hundred miles from here by this."

"And his wife"

"Be dd to her!" said he. "She's the cleverest woman I ever met, and she's done me again, I reckon. You give your guv'ner the tip. If he makes any money up yonder let him tie up his breeches pocket tight. If he don't, she'll steal every penny of it "

"Do you say that?" cried I.

"I do so," said he. "If I was him, and I had any winnings hanging about, I'd bank 'em at Brest, and take thundering good care they didn't go by her messenger. But you don't want to be told twice."

I said that I did not, and after a few words of thanks to him—for he'd put me all in a fever—I ran back to the house, determined that Nicky should know the whole story before another hour had passed. In this attempt luck favored me for the first time. I found my master walking on the lawn with young Lord Beyton. They were smoking together, and seemed to be in earnest talk.

"Well, Hildebrand," said Sir Nicolas, when he saw me, "what keeps you up at this time of night?"

"A letter you gave me to-day, sir," said I. "Could I speak to you about it for a minute?"

He took the hint, and, leaving Beyton, he walked