"Which one--there are two together?" "The stout one. It is he whom I saw take your wallet from your pocket." "Then he is a thief?" "Precisely," replied Bambino. "Good-evening. I hope you will recover your property." Lifting his hat politely, he turned down a side street, leaving Mr. Cobb to go after his money. Harkaway was perfectly unconscious of the trick that had been played upon him. As for Harvey, he was a little uneasy. "Jack," he said, "did you notice the face of that fellow who pushed up against you?" "Not distinctly; why?" replied Jack. "I did, and the features reminded me of that Italian scoundrel of whom we were talking." "Bambino?" "Yes. The hired assassin of your sworn enemy, Lord Maltravers." "Absurd!" exclaimed Jack. "The fellow perished at sea. We know that very well." "Never mind; the face haunts me." "You shouldn't indulge such silly fancies, Dick. I tell you the rascal is as dead as a doornail," replied Jack. Just then, Mr. Cobb rushed up and seized Harkaway rudely by the arm. "Hello!" exclaimed Jack. "What's the matter with you? Has every one got a mania for jostling me to-night?" "My wallet, my wallet!" cried Mr. Cobb. Jack shook off his grasp and drawing himself up proudly looked him sternly in the face. "My good sir," he said, "be kind enough to explain yourself." "You have stolen my wallet. I saw you do it." This was a stretch of imagination on the part of the produce merchant, but he relied on what Bambino had told him. "Do I look like a--a thief?" inquired Jack, not knowing whether to get angry or not, and feeling inclined to regard Mr. Cobb as a harmless lunatic. "No," admitted the merchant, "but gentlemanly thieves are the most dangerous." Jack turned inquiringly to Harvey. "Dick," he exclaimed, "ought I not to knock this man down?" "Under the circumstances, you would be justified," replied Harvey. "But, my dear boy, he is old and we should respect old age." "True. Pass on, sir, and do not presume to annoy me any more with your ridiculous charges," said Jack. "My money. I want my money, robber. You shall not escape me thus," persisted Mr. Cobb. Again he laid his hand on Jack, who this time flung him violently against the window of a store. A small crowd of idlers began to collect, and the attention of one of the Broadway squad was arrested. "What's all this?" asked the officer, coming up. "Arrest this man," cried Mr. Cobb. "What for?" "Robbery. I charge him with having stolen my wallet, containing a large sum." "Who are you?" "Richard Cobb, of the firm of Cobb and Co. Every one knows me in South street." The officer seized Jack by the elbow. "I arrest you," he said. "Come along." "Allow me to explain," exclaimed Jack. "You can do that at the station." Jack shrugged his shoulders. "This is a queer country," he replied; "yet I make it a rule never to resist constituted authority." "You wouldn't find it much use if you did," answered the officer, swinging his locust club.