"Pshaw! poh!" cried Loftus. "I told you the poor fellow was half cracked." At this moment, a roguish-looking fellow, with red whiskers and hair, and clad in a velveteen jacket with ivory buttons, who had been watching the iron-merchant at some distance, came up, and touching his hat, said, "Mr. Thorneycroft, I believe?" "My name is Thorneycroft, fellow!" cried the iron-merchant, eyeing him askance. "And your name, I fancy, is Ginger?" "Exactly, sir," replied the dog-fancier, again touching his hat, "ex-actly. I didn't think you would rekilect me, sir. I bring you some news of your darter." "Of Ebba!" exclaimed Thorneycroft, in a tone of deep emotion. "I hope your news is good." "I wish it wos better, for her sake as well as yours, sir," replied the dog-fancier gravely; "but I'm afeerd she's in werry bad hands." "That she is, if she's in the hands o' the black gentleman," observed Morse. "Vy, Old Parr, that ain't you?" cried Ginger, gazing at him in astonishment. "Vy, 'ow you are transmogrified, to be sure!" "But what of my daughter?" cried Thorneycroft; "where is she? Take me to her, and you shall be well rewarded." "I'll do my best to take you to her, and without any reward, sir," replied Ginger, "for my heart bleeds for the poor young creater. As I said afore, she's in dreadful bad hands." "Do you allude to Mr. Auriol Darcy?" cried Thorneycroft. "No, he's as much a wictim of this infernal plot as your darter," replied Ginger; "I thought him quite different at first--but I've altered my mind entirely since some matters has come to my knowledge." "You alarm me greatly by these dark hints," cried Thorneycroft. "What is to be done?" "I shall know in a few hours," replied Ginger. "I ain't got the exact clue yet. But come to me at eleven o'clock to-night, at the Turk's Head, at the back o' Shoreditch Church, and I'll put you on the right scent. You must come alone." "I should wish this gentleman, my brother-in-law, to accompany me," said Thorneycroft. "He couldn't help you," replied Ginger. "I'll take care to have plenty of assistance. It's a dangerous bus'ness, and can only be managed in a sartin way, and by a sartin person, and he'd object to any von but you. To-night, at eleven! Good-bye, Old Parr. Ve shall meet again ere long." And without a word more, he hurried away. CHAPTER XI PREPARATIONS On that same night, at the appointed hour, Mr. Thorneycroft repaired to Shoreditch, and entering a narrow street behind the church, speedily discovered the Turk's Head, at the door of which a hackney-coach was standing. He was shown by the landlord into a small back room, in which three men were seated at a small table, smoking, and drinking gin and water, while a fourth was standing near the fire, with his back towards the door. The latter was a tall, powerfully built man, wrapped in a rough greatcoat, and did not turn round on the iron-merchant's entrance.