After the embrace, a movement on the part of her brother, which indicated that he was about to leave the room, caused Sally to beat a rapid retreat downstairs, where, in the street, she waited for the Duchess to come out. The child came, holding Ned Chester by the hand, and Sally followed them unobserved until her brother left the Duchess with some playmates. Sally did not acquaint Seth Dumbrick with her discovery; but she, within an hour, introduced the subject in a manner familiar to them both. "I want to tell you. Daddy Dumbrick, Pharer come again." "I thought he would, Sal. Pharaoh's rising as a spirit. Get straight to what he said." "He said, said Pharer, 'the Duchess has been playing truant.'" "Wide-awake old king! Go on, Sal." "But 'taint her fault, said Pharer; she's been seducted away." "She's been what?" "Seducted away. Now, said Pharer, you'll miss her agin soon." "When?" "Pharer didn't say. You'll miss her agin soon, he said. There's somebody as is fond on her, and as hates you and Daddy Dumbrick, and everybody but the Duchess. So look out." "We will. That wasn't all, Sal." "No. Said Pharer, the next time you miss her, tell Daddy Dumbrick to go to No. 8, Lemon Street, to the top of the house on the third floor, and there he'll find her." Seth stared at Sally. "That's all?" "That's all." "Did Pharaoh say who lives there?" "No." "And," said Seth, placing his hand kindly on Sally's head, "you don't want to tell." "No; for if anythink happened to him through me, mother would never speak to me agin." "All right, Sal. I can guess what you don't want to tell. The next time you can't find the Duchess, you come to me; I'll soon settle matters." The opportunity occurred very soon, and was brought about probably by Sally, who relaxed her watch so that Seth could make the discovery for himself. Taking Sally with him, Seth proceeded to the house, and found Ned Chester entertaining the child, to whom he had taken so strange a liking. He was charming the Duchess's soul with his tin whistle; and Seth, pausing on the stairs, listened in wonder to the melodious sounds produced by the drunken vagrant. He was ignorant of Ned Chester's accomplishments in the musical way, and was only made acquainted with Ned's possession of so rare a talent by Sally exclaiming: "There he is!" "That's never your brother, Sal," observed Seth. "Yes, it is; that's how he gets his living. Don't he play beautifully?" Seth, without replying, entered the room, and opened the battle at once. "Take her home," he said, passing the Duchess to Sally; "your brother and I are going to talk a bit. Don't be afraid, Sal; we sha'n't fight--at least I sha'n't, and I don't think he's got pluck enough. Now," he continued, when the children were gone, "let's make short work of this. What do you mean by tricking my child away day after day in this fashion?" "Your child!" sneered Ned. "She's as much mine as yours; I love her as much."