Page:Memoirs James Hardy Vaux.djvu/148

125 at the door, to my great confusion, but my late master, Mr. Pettit, accompanied by a Bow-street officer, and the boy who had pretended to go out for the silver. I attempted to rush by them, but was overpowered and secured. The officer immediately proceeded to search me, but found nothing of a suspicious nature: he took, however, some loose money, and every other article I had about me; luckily I had some money (the bulk of my fortune,) in a private pocket, which he did not discover. Mr. Pettit then asked the pawnbroker if I was the person who had pledged the habit, and on his answering in the affirmative, I was given in charge to the officer, who conducted me to Covent-garden watch-house, where I was to remain locked up until the magistrate sat in the evening, at the public-office, Bow-Street.

Shortly after my confinement, I received a visit from Mr. Pettit, who, after expatiating on the enormity of my conduct, told me he had detected the frauds I had practised at the neighbouring shops, and demanded what I had done with the property so obtained. This, however, I refused to tell, not supposing that he had any idea of my place of abode: but in this I found myself unhappily mistaken, for he informed me that he had discovered it by means of the porter employed to carry home my chest, who, it seems, was well acquainted with Mr. Pettit, and had seen me frequently in his shop. On receiving