Page:Lady Barbarity; a romance (IA ladybarbarityrom00snai).pdf/323

 Minister of England. For he's a wonderful fine fellow, and of a very alert intelligence."

"Hum, on'y a Prime Minister!" says Mr. Snark. "But will they put him in the Calendar? And do you think he's worth my time and trouble, Miss?"

"Why, my dear man," says I, "I can surely make it worth your time and trouble. You have merely to name the sum."

Herein it was that I committed an unpardonable crime.

"Pah! and pish!" he cried, and waved his hand with magnificent disdain. "Do you suppose that it is your dirty money that I've come for? It's not guineas that can make a Snark, young lady, nor guineas that can command him. There's on'y one Snark as they knows at Bow Street, and he's not the man to interest hisself in small fry. His very last deliverance was no less than Jimmy Finch. All the world has heard o' Bos-eyed Jimmy, but this here rebel-man o' yours has got his name to make. An' Jimmy's was a job an' all. I never seed a cleaner. Four deep o' soldiers round the scaffle, an' a blessed barricade. An' James was prayin' white as cheese, but awful full o' pluck. An' there, there was the topsman a-fingering the noose. By gum, Miss, it was beautiful! And when my boys had done the job, you should just a' heard the crowd a whispering: 'This is a bit o' Snark's work. Marvellous man, old Snark!' And then you comes to Snark, Miss, and says you can make it worth his trouble!