"Did you hear anything else?" said Rich eagerly. "Yes, Miss; I heared the window broke, and you come, and the perliceman, and I heared all you said; but I dursn't move, for fear the perlicemen should think I did it--the perlice is such wunners, you know; and last of all, I hears the perliceman begin hunting about, and I got scared again, and tried to hide; and jus' as I picks up that there white skull, and was trying whether I couldn't get lower, he opens the lid, and bangs it down." "Should you know the men again?" asked Mark eagerly. "Dunno, sir. You see it was all foggy like, and they was wropped up; but I should know 'em if I heerd 'em speak." Mark uttered an ejaculation full of disappointment, and signed to the boy to go on. "Well, sir, that's all; only I waited till no one was there; and then I lifted the lid and crep out of the box; and it was very horrid, for there was the dead chap in the nex' room, and I kep' thinking he'd come after me, or them others would; and I was that scared, I crawled along the passage, and down-stairs, and then sat and shivered, list'ning to you folks talking, and something in my head going buzz." "Why did you not come to us?" said Rich kindly. "I did want to, Miss, but I dursn't. I was 'fraid 'bout what you'd say; and there was the perliceman too, and I'd no business to be there. I d'know, only I was very frightened, and didn't hardly know what I did. I never see anybody dead afore." "Well, what did you do then?" "Waited a bit, Miss, and then I got out in the area, nipped over the rails, and went home and told mother." "But one minute," cried Mark, pressing his hand to his breast; "did you--did you hear anything said about--about diamonds?" "Yes," cried the boy. "I heared one on 'em say, `Be cool, and the diamonds are ours.'" Mark uttered a groan. His last hope was crushed; and the boy went on: "Mother said she know'd no good ud come of my being at a doctor's, and that it all meant body-snatching and 'section, and that I shouldn't get into trouble for no one. She said if I stopped I should be took up by the perlice; and I was scared enough, and did as she said, and she took me with her down in the country." "In the country?" cried Hendon. "Where did you go?" "I d'know," said the boy. "Everywhere's, I think. Tramping about, and sleeping in workusses; and it's been very cold and mis'able, and I'm very fond o' the old woman; only somehow--" "Well, Bob, why do you stop?" said Hendon. "Dunno, sir," said the boy, looking very hard at Rich's white hand. "I wouldn't ha' done it, on'y she was took bad, and they put her in one of the workas 'firmaries, and wouldn't let me stop along with her. They shoved me in a school as was all whitewash, with a lot more boys; and I got in a row with some on 'em, and we had a fight, and the master caned me, and I hooked it; and please, Miss, mayn't I stay?" CHAPTER SEVENTEEN. A JAR WRONGLY LABELLED.