PEGGY. (_to RATCLIFFE_) Well, sir, Sergeant Jones has just been here, and says he to me--says he--tell my Superintendent, Captain Ratcliffe, says he, that we've found the robber, says he. POS. (_triumphantly_) And the money too, of course; not that my intense affection for my charming cousin could ever be influenced by a few paltry thousands more or less--no; I love her for herself alone. PEGGY. It does my old heart good to hear you say that, because they've neither found the robber nor the money yet. POS. Pooh, what a stupid old fool you are. What have they found then? PEGGY. A hat! POS. A hat! I never heard of anything so absurd in all my life. PEGGY. But it's a very peculiar hat--what they call a wide-awake--a green one. (_POSTLETHWAITE here slowly raises his hand and feels his head, then looks about him. RATCLIFFE notices his movements_) PEGGY. Sergeant Jones found it under the window; but that's not all--he says that the robber in making his escape must have fallen into the green house, and that probably his clothes may have been cut, or that pieces of glass may be sticking in him. (_POS. falls behind--gives a sudden start of pain--then examines his coat tails and finds one of them torn, fixes his hand on it. RATCLIFFE still observing him_) But that's not all, there are footmarks on the gravel walk, and as the gravel was only laid down yesterday, Sergeant Jones says that some of it must be sticking to his boots. (_here POSTLETHWAITE begins shuffling with his feet about, which he keeps up incessantly_) But that's not all! as Joe Podger, the blacksmith was going to his work this morning, he saw a man, a little short man, he says, (_POSTLETHWAITE draws himself up and crosses to C._) drop from that window, and he says he should know him again among a thousand. POS. Oh lud! (_slightly staggering_) RAT. (_trying to check a laugh_) What's the matter, my dear fellow? here sit down. (_making POS. sit down, who utters a cry of pain and jumps up again, then seeing RAT. and PEG. looking at him, begins shuffling his feet about again, and keeping his hand on his coat tail_) RAT. (_to PEG._) Tell Sergeant Jones from me to act upon the information he has got without one moment's loss of time; run, fly! (_PEGGY trots out at door, L. U. E._) RAT. (_to POS. and slapping him on the shoulder_) This is famous news indeed, eh? POS. Yes, glorious news, though for my part I can't see that there's anything at all in finding a wide-a-wake--any man might lose his wide-a-wake--I might lose mine, and it might be a green wide-a-wake. RAT. Heaven forbid, for I should immediately arrest you, my dear friend, but what of that? your charming cousin is too well aware of your intense affection. POS. What d'ye mean by _intense affection?_ As I said before, I respect her--I like her, but-- RAT. But what?