Jack Shore, for it was he, chuckled gleefully. "You make-a da wild-a guessa, Signora, Eesa not-a da old-a cripple." "You were in disguise, a beggar. I gave you money. What have you done with the child?" "What-a da child-a?" he asked, gruffly. "Dorothy Thorpe!" "He, he, he, he," he again chuckled, and sharply turned on her: "Who tole-a you, Eesa gott-a da kid?" "What did you want to meet me here for? Was it not to tell me where Dorothy is?" "Oh, he, he, he, he," he laughed. "Eesa jessa da thought-a youda like-a see me--alone--at night, Signora." And he watched her from the corners of his eyes, as, with bent head, he muttered: "Turnoppsis, carrotsis, ca-babbages, black-a da boots, steal-a da chil. Anyting dees-a gett-a da mon. Go back a da sunny Italy!" "What was your motive for kidnapping the child?" she asked, without heeding his significant answer. "Da mon!" he promptly replied. Up to that moment he had equivocated. "You are frank," she rejoined, and then asked: "Is Dorothy safe?" "Youse-a da bet she's a da safe," he proudly replied. "Ah!" It was a sigh of glad relief that she uttered, for she believed the man's statement to be true, and with the information her spirits rose. "How many of you are there in this?" she quietly asked. "Eesa not-a da beeze, jess-a da myself." "You told me you sent the note requesting this meeting. Who wrote it? It was not you!" she demanded. Jack was not expecting so pointed a question and was thrown somewhat off his guard by her abrupt eagerness. He answered thoughtlessly--or, it may have been, indifference to the importance. "Eesa my good-a da friend." "So there are at least two of you in this 'over the road' business?" Chagrined, he thought how easily he had been trapped. "Hang it! I didn't mean to make a break like that." And then he exclaimed, between his teeth, for he realized too late the slip of his tongue. "See-a da here. Da mon. Eesa want. How much-a you-a da give to gett-a back-a da kid? Speak a da quick." Virginia perceived he was getting angry and restless. It was about that time that Sam, who was lying on his stomach in a slight depression, peered over the rise in the ground a short distance from the two. He was a little too far away to hear distinctly, except occasional words, as their voices were pitched in a low key. "How much will I give?" replied Virginia, surprised, and then her voice lowered again. "You are a poor man, no doubt, but you have your liberty, which is priceless, and I warn you of the severe penalty for the offense you are committing. It is most dangerous business." "Liberty, wid out-a da mon! Eesa be damn! Say, Signora, yous-a come-a down wid a da handsome da mon--Eesa take de kid--wid da longa golda hair so nicey da shiney, and da bigg-a da brown eyes." "Dorothy, I am sure!" she thought. "Well, what do you call the handsome mon?" "Eesa note-a bees-a da hard. Eesa cheap at-a da twenty thous." "Twenty thous--what!" "Bigg-a da round flat dollairs!"