"Hear! hear! Shut up, will ye, and let the gal tork," said Slap-Up Peter. "Well," said Bet, broken down in her attempt at a speech, "I move that we have a song from 'Teddy the Kinchin.' Will he hoblige?" "He will! he will!" said a dozen voices. "I am sorry, me blokes, that my woice is so werry much out of tune in singing at Her Majesty's Hopera in the Haymarket, but howsumbever, as I have given hup my hengagement at that 'ouse, I'll fake you a few werses to show wot I wonce wos when I wos in woice," said this cheerful young blackguard and thief, who had a pair of eyes like a ferret, and could not have been more than seventeen years of age, as he stood there dressed in the height of his idea of the fashion, with a flashy velvet coat and satin scarf, showing a huge pin. He sang, after clearing his throat with a long drink of gin, as follows: "TEDDY THE KINCHIN'S SONG." I am a curious comical cove Everybody does own O, Hey ricketty Barlow, Cock-a-doodle-do! I was born one day when father was out, And mother she wasn't at home O, Hey ricketty Barlow, &c. I went to school and played the fool, At learning was a shy man. Hey ricketty Barlow, &c. The boys they used to hollo out, "There goes a Simple Simon!" Hey ricketty Barlow, &c. Oh lor! oh my! I'm a Simple Simon, Oh lor! oh my! cock-a-doodle-do! Where ere I go the folks they know, And call me "Simple Simon;" Hey ricketty Barlow, &c. "Haltogether, please," said the Kinchin. [Illustration: "TEDDY THE KINCHIN'S SONG."] I used to "kick" the cobbler out, And rip up people's pockets, Hey ricketty Barlow, &c. And I was very fond of throwing stones And lumps of mud at coppers, Hey ricketty Barlow, &c. But now I'm going to settle down, Won't I cut a shine O, Hey ricketty Barlow, &c. I'll marry a gal with lots of Tin, And won't I spend her rhino, Hey ricketty Barlow, &c. Oh lor! oh my! &c. "Now, once more, and a good haltogether please," and the young pickpocket sat down amid thunders of applause from every one in the cellar belonging to the band of thieves. [Sidenote: TEDDY THE KINCHIN.] The thieves stew was now declared ready for consumption by the _chef de cuisine_, and as I at least felt no appetite for such a rich dish, we left this underground den of infamy just as a few faint streaks of the coming dawn began to gild the spire of St. Boldolph's ancient church.