"Well, my kiddy," said Grasp, the grim-visaged, gray-headed turnkey, as soon as he had ushered Steggars into his snug little quarters; "here you are, you see--isn't you?" "I think I am," replied Steggars, with a sigh. "Well--and if you want to have a chance of not going across the water afore your time, you'll get yourself _defended_, and the sooner the better, d'ye see. There's _Quirk_, _Gammon_, and _Snap_--my eyes! how they _do_ thin this here place of ours, to be sure! The only thing is to get 'em soon; 'cause, ye see, they're so run after. Shall I send them to you?" Steggars answered eagerly in the affirmative. In order to account for this spontaneous good-nature on the part of Grasp, I must explain that old Mr. Quirk had for years secured a highly respectable criminal practice, by having in his interest most of the officers attached to the police-offices and Newgate. He gave, in fact, systematic gratuities to these gentry, in order to get their recommendations to the persecuted individuals who came into their power. Very shortly after Grasp's messenger had reached Saffron Hill, with the intelligence that "there was _something new in the trap_," old Quirk bustled down to Newgate, and was introduced to Steggars, with whom he was closeted for some time. He took a lively interest in his new client, to whose narrative of his flight and capture he listened in a very kind and sympathizing way, lamenting the severity of the late statute applicable to the case;[23] and promised to do for him whatever his little skill and experience _could_ do. He hinted however, that, as Mr. Steggars must be aware, a _little_ ready money would be required, in order to fee counsel--whereat Steggars looked very dismal indeed, and knowing the state of his exchequer, imagined himself already on shipboard, on his way to Botany Bay. Old Mr. Quirk asked him if he had no friends who would raise a trifle for a "chum in trouble,"--and on Mr. Steggars answering in the negative, he observed the enthusiasm of the respectable old gentleman visibly and rapidly cooling down. "But I'll tell you what, sir," said poor Steggars, suddenly, "if I haven't money, I may have _money's worth_ at my command;--I've a little box, that's at my lodging, which those that catched me knew nothing of--and in which there is a trifle or two about the families and fortunes of some of the first folk in the best part of Yorkshire, that would be precious well worth looking after, to those who know how to follow up such matters." Old Quirk hereat pricked up his ears, and asked his young friend how he got possessed of such secrets. "Oh fie! fie!" said he, gently, as soon as Steggars had told him the practices of which I have already put the reader in possession.