"Yesh, but _we_ have feelinsh. The _Gov'nor_ has feelinsh; I have _feelinsh_. Think what state our feelinsh is in, lookin' at that there account," said Mr. Levi, with much pathos. Mr. Larkin glanced toward the door, and then toward the window. "We are quite _alone_?" said he, mildly. "Yesh, without you have the devil in your pocket, as old Dingwell saysh," answered Levi, sulkily. "For there are subjects of a painful nature, as you know, gentlemen, connected with this particular case," continued Mr. Larkin. "Awful painful; but we'll sta-an' it," said Goldshed, with unctuous humour; "we'll sta-an' it, but wishes it over quick;" and he winked at Levi. "Yesh, he wishes it over quick," echoed Levi; "the gov'nor and me, we wishes it over quick." "And so do I, _most_ assuredly; but we must have a little patience. If deception does lurk here--and you know I warned you I suspected it--we must not prematurely trouble Lord Verney." "He might throw up the sponge, he might, I _know_," said Levi, with a nod. "I don't know what course Lord Verney might think it right in such a case to adopt; I only know that until I am in a position to reduce suspicion to certainty, it would hardly consist with right feeling to torture his mind upon the subject. In the meantime he is--a--growing"---- "Growing warm in his berth," said Goldshed. "Establishing himself, I should say, in his position. He has been incurring, I need hardly tell you, enormous expense in restoring (I might say _re-building_) the princely mansions of Ware, and of Verney House. He applied much ready money to that object, and has charged the estates with nearly sixty thousand pounds besides." Mr. Larkin lowered his tones reverentially at the mention of so considerable a sum. "I know Sirachs, did nigh thirty thoushand o' that," said Mr. Goldshed. "And that tends to--to--as I may say, _steady_ him in his position; and I may mention, in confidence, gentlemen, that there are other measures on the _tapis_" (he pronounced taypis) "which will further and still more decidedly fix him in his position. It would pain us all deeply, gentlemen, that a premature disclosure of my uneasiness should inspire his lordship with a panic in which he might deal ruinously with his own interests, and, in fact, as you say, Mr. Levi, throw up the--the"---- "Sponge," said Levi, reflectively. "But I may add," said Mr. Larkin, "that I am impatiently watching the moment when it may become my duty to open my suspicions fully to Lord Verney; and that I have reason to know that that moment cannot now be distant." "Here's Tomlinshon comin' up, gov'nor," said Mr. Levi, jumping off the table on which he had been sitting, and sweeping the great ledger into his arms, he pitched it into its berth in the safe, and locked it into that awful prison-house.