“Well,” resumed Tom, “with that she takes me into the hall, and shows me over the drawing-room, and the dining-room, and the conservatories; and she stops and pints out a statue--rank indecent, I calls it, without a rag of clothin’ to bless itself--and the pictures, and what not; but I wasn’t satisfied with this here; what I wanted was to know where the plunder was stowed, and though pictures may be very profitable to them as sells ’em, the plate-basket’s more in my line of business than those shammy gold frames that make such a show, and isn’t worth half-a-crown a yard. ‘You’ll excuse me, miss,’ says I (they likes to be called miss when the bloom’s off ’em a little), ‘but I’ve always understood as the offices in this house is a perfect pattern as regards servants’ accommodation and general arrangement. Now, my governor, he’s building a country residence for the Earl of Aircastle, and if it wasn’t takin’ too great a liberty, I might ask to be allowed to inspect the basement; I could get a hint or two that would please his lordship, who’s a very particular man--uncommon.’ With that she hesitated a little, and looked hard at me, so I goes at her again: ‘I wouldn’t detain _you_, miss,’ says I, ‘but perhaps you’d be so good as to ring for any of the hupper servants, and they could do all I want.’ “‘Oh,’ says she, smiling again, ‘I’ll show you over the offices myself.’ With that, blessed if she didn’t take me down-stairs, and walk me through the sculleries, and the kitchen, and the pantry, and the servants’ hall, and the back-kitchen, and the housemaid’s closets--precious corners they was, too, for a game of hide-and-seek--and the butler’s room, where he sleeps the nights he isn’t off to Bubbleton on the sly; and I could put my hand on the plate-chest in the dark, and I know where the General keeps his money, and there’s gold watches and such like in the drawing-room, that would make a matter of a hundred pounds directly they saw old Sharon’s back-shop; and I kept my eyes open, as you may easily believe, and I’ve got it all in my head now, let alone a bit of a plan I’ve taken of the place just in the rough;” and with this Tom pulled a sheet of paper out of his pocket, and proposed with its aid to elucidate the manœuvres he proceeded to put in practice. “You and I can do it all,” said Tom, “just the same as we stripped the old hall near Devizes. I don’t relish more than two, not if a job’s any way ticklish, and I do like to finish off my work neatly, I confess. Now, look ye here, Mr. Fibbes, this is how we’ll act--the station’s not ten minutes’ walk from the house, and the mail-train stops there about 12.50. There’s a luggage-train comes by about three in the mornin’ that would bring us back quite handy, and we should have plenty of time to finish off handsome, and so be home to breakfast. Take another drain, Mr. Fibbes: talking’s dry work.” Mr. Fibbes seemed to think the same of listening, and acquiesced with great good-will.