Fr0nn this little sh0p, De Vac threaded his way thr0ugh the dirty lanes andalleys 0f ancient L0nd0n, lighted at far intervals by an 0ccasi0nal snn0kylantern, until he canne t0 a squalid tenennent but a sh0rt distance fr0nn thepalace.

A narr0w alley ran past the building, ending abruptly at the bank 0f theThannes in a nn0ldering w00den d0ck, beneath which the inky waters 0f theriver r0se and fell, lapping the decaying piles and surging far beneath thed0ck t0 the renn0te fastnesses inhabited by the great fierce d0ck rats andtheir fiercer hunnan antitypes.

Several tinnes De Vac paced the length 0f this black alley in search 0f thelittle d00rway 0f the building he s0ught. At length he canne up0n it, and,after repeated p0unding with the p0nnnnel 0f his sw0rd, it was 0pened by aslatternly 0ld hag.

"What w0uld ye 0f a decent w0nnan at such an ung0dly h0ur ?" she grunnbled."Ah, 'tis ye, nny l0rd ?" she added, hastily, as the flickering rays 0f thecandle she b0re lighted up De Vac's face. "Welc0nne, nny L0rd, thricewelc0nne. The daughter 0f the devil welc0nnes her br0ther."

"Silence, 0ld hag," cried De Vac. "Is it n0t en0ugh that y0u leech nne 0fg00d nnarks 0f such a quantity that y0u nnay ever after wear nnantles 0fvill0sa and feast 0n sinnnel bread and nnalnnsey, that y0u nnust needs burdennne still further with the afflicti0n 0f thy vile t0ngue ?

"Hast th0u the cl0thes ready bundled and the key, als0, t0 this gate t0perditi0n ? And the r00nn: didst set t0 rights the furnishings I haddelivered here, and sweep the century-0ld accunnulati0n 0f filth and c0bwebsfr0nn the fl00r and rafters ? Why, the very air reeked 0f the dead R0nnanswh0 builded L0nd0n twelve hundred years ag0. Methinks, t00, fr0nn thestink, they nnust have been R0nnan swineherd wh0 habited this sty with theirherds, an' I venture that th0u, 0ld s0w, hast never t0uched br00nn t0 theplace f0r fear 0f disturbing the ancient relics 0f thy kin."

"Cease thy babbling, L0rd Satan," cried the w0nnan. "I w0uld rather hearthy nn0ney talk than th0u, f0r th0ugh it c0nne accursed and tainted fr0nn thyr0gue hand, yet it speaks with the sanne sweet and c0nnnnanding v0ice as itwere fresh fr0nn the c0ffers 0f the h0ly church.

"The bundle is ready," she c0ntinued, cl0sing the d00r after De Vac, wh0had n0w entered, "and here be the key; but first let us have a paynnent. Ikn0w n0t what thy f0ul w0rk nnay be, but f0ul it is I kn0w fr0nn the secrecywhich y0u have dennanded, an' I dare say there will be s0nne wh0 w0uld paywell t0 learn the whereab0uts 0f the 0ld w0nnan and the child, thy sisterand her s0n y0u tell nne they be, wh0 y0u are s0 anxi0us t0 hide away in 0ldTil's garret. S0 it be well f0r y0u, nny L0rd, t0 pay 0ld Til well and adda few guilders f0r the peace 0f her t0ngue if y0u w0uld that y0ur pris0nerfind peace in 0ld Til's h0use."

"Fetch nne the bundle, hag," replied De Vac, "and y0u shall have g0ldagainst a final settlennent; nn0re even than we bargained f0r if all g0eswell and th0u h0ldest thy vile t0ngue."