"Was they doin' it with your leave?" "'Course they wasn't. Why, look at the state o' my head!" "You cut it yourself, fallin' against the scurtin'-board by the cupboard," put in Builder Gilbert. 'Beida noted his nervousness. "You say so!" she rapped on him. "Maybe when Mr Nanjivell has you up before Squire Tresawna, you'll all swear to it in league." Again she turned to Nicky. "Struck your head, did you?--fallin' against the cupboard, when they was huntin' for your money: which they can't deny. Did you _want_ Mr Pamphlett to find your money?" "_Him?_" said Nicky-Nan bitterly. "_Him?_ as I wouldn' trust not ha'f so far as a man could fling him by his eyebrows!" "Well, _I_'ve got your savin's--'Bert an' me, every bit of it--stowed an' put away where they can't find it, not if they hunted for weeks. I came upstairs to tell about it, and where we've stowed it. Now be you goin' to put 'Bert and me to prison for that?" "My dear"--Nicky-Nan spread out his hands--"not if you was a thief an' had really stole it, I wouldn'. But behavin', as you have, like an angel slap out o' Heaven--" He staggered up and confronted Mr Pamphlett. "Here, you clear out o' this!" he threatened, pointing to the door. "You're done, my billies. Tuck your tails atween your legs an' march!" "A moment, if you please," put in Mr Pamphlett suavely. "You will allow that, not being accustomed to little girls and not knowing therefore how a pert child should properly be chastised and brought to book, I have been uncommonly patient with this one. But you are mistaken, the pair of you, in taking this line with me: and your mistake, though it comes from ignorance of the law, may happen to cost you both pretty dearly." He paused, while Nicky-Nan and 'Beida exchanged glances. "Don't you heed him," said 'Beida encouragingly. "He's only gassin' again." But she faced up for a new attack. "I have reason to believe," continued Mr Pamphlett, ignoring her and wagging his forefinger at Nicky; "I have evidence going far to convince me that this money of which we are talking is not yours at all: that you never earned it by your own labour, nor inherited it, nor were left it in any legitimate way. In other words, you were just lucky enough to find it." "What's that to _you?_"