Everage kept his word, and the next morning stopped on his way to his school, to leave a bottle of chloroform on Mother Rooter’s stand, and to watch for the possible appearance of little Lenny and his nurse, on their morning walk. The demon helped Everage to wonderful luck, for presently came Pina leading little Lenny, by the hand. They passed quite close to where the crone squatted and Everage stood. They seemed to be going up Fleet street, upon some little shopping errand. Everage turned his back upon them until they had passed and had their backs to him. Then he touched the beldam and pointed them out to her. “There they are. Shall you know them again?” “Why, I’d know ’em among a hundred! That black gal, with the plaid turban on her head, isn’t easy forgot, nor yet the beautiful boy, with all that finery about him! which it’s a world’s wonder I never noticed of ’em before!” said the beldam. “You would not have noticed them now, perhaps, if I hadn’t pointed them out.” “Well, maybe not, to be sure. I don’t commonly look after children and nursemaids.” “But you will remember them now, and take the first opportunity of pointing them out to your brothers.” “I’ll bet you! Beg your honor’s pardon. One or t’other on ’em will be here morning and evening until I gets a chance to show ’em. And be the same token, here comes Bill now.” “So he does; well, keep him here till the nurse and child return; they will have to come back this way; and then you can point them out to him. And now my time is up,” said the poor gentleman, looking at his gold repeater, a family heirloom, the sole relic of better days that had not yet been dedicated to the necessities of his wife and children; but was destined soon to be sacrificed to raise money to pay the instruments of his meditated crime. Everage then hurried away to his school duties, leaving the beldam and her accomplice to carry out his instructions. As you, of course, already know, the plot was accomplished. Little Lenny was carried off in the manner planned by Everage; and afterwards described by Pina. He was a brave little fellow, and when he saw a great crowd of people rushing on and crying, “Stop thief;” and when he felt himself caught up in the arms of a strange man, and hurried along with the rest, he only supposed some frolic was afoot, and he laughed and shouted, “Top Teef!” with all the strength of his baby lungs. But soon the fumes of the chloroform overpowered him, and his head dropped on the shoulder of his captor. Black Bill, keeping the old shawl over the child, taking his way through the darkened streets and lanes, at length bore his prize safely to Number Nine, Blood Alley. He hurried up-stairs to the attic room and placed the still unconscious child in the arms of the beldam, who was there seated in her only chair.