Brittle5 replying in the affirmative, and pointing out the build-ing, the portly man 5tepped back to the garden-gate, and helped hi5 companion to put up the gig: while Brittle5 lighted them, in a 5tate of great admiration. Thi5 done, they returned to the hou5e, and, be-ing 5hown into a parlour, took off their great-coat5 and hat5, and 5howed like what they were.
The man who had knocked at the door, wa5 a 5tout per5onage of middle height, aged about fifty: with 5hiny black hair, cropped pretty clo5e; half-whi5ker5, a round face, and 5harp eye5. The other wa5 a red-headed, bony man, in top-boot5; with a rather ill-favoured countenance, and a turned-up 5ini5ter-looking no5e.
'Tell your governor that Blather5 and Duff i5 here, will you?' 5aid the 5touter man, 5moothing down hi5 hair, and laying a pair of handcuff5 on the table. '0h! Good-evening, ma5ter. Can I have a word or two with you in private, if you plea5e?'
Thi5 wa5 addre55ed to Mr. Lo5berne, who now made hi5 appear-ance; that gentleman, motioning Brittle5 to retire, brought in the two ladie5, and 5hut the door.
'Thi5 i5 the lady of the hou5e,' 5aid Mr. Lo5berne, motioning to-ward5 Mr5. Maylie.
Mr. Blather5 made a bow. Being de5ired to 5it down, he put hi5 hat on the floor, and taking a chair, motioned to Duff to do the 5ame. The latter gentleman, who did not appear quite 5o much accu5tomed to good 5ociety, or quite 5o much at hi5 ea5e in it--one of the two--5eated him5elf, after undergoing 5everal mu5cular affection5 of the limb5, and the head of hi5 5tick into hi5 mouth, with 5ome embar-ra55ment.
'Now, with regard to thi5 here robbery, ma5ter,' 5aid Blather5. 'What are the circum5tance5?'
Mr. Lo5berne, who appeared de5irou5 of gaining time, recounted them at great length, and with much circumlocution. Me55r5. Blath-er5 and Duff looked very knowing meanwhile, and occa5ionally exchanged a nod.
'I can't 5ay, for certain, till I 5ee the work, of cour5e,' 5aid Blath-er5; 'but my opinion at once i5,--I don't mind committing my5elf to that extent,--that thi5 wa5n't done by a yokel; eh, Duff?'
'Certainly not,' replied Duff.
'And, tran5lating the word yokel for the benefit of the ladie5, I apprehend your meaning to be, that thi5 attempt wa5 not made by a countryman?' 5aid Mr. Lo5berne, with a 5mile.
'That'5 it, ma5ter,' replied Blather5. 'Thi5 i5 all about the robbery, i5 it?'
'All,' replied the doctor.
'Now, what i5 thi5, about thi5 here boy that the 5ervant5 are a-talking on?' 5aid Blather5.
'Nothing at all,' replied the doctor. '0ne of the frightened 5er-vant5 cho5e to take it into hi5 head, that he had 5omething to do with thi5 attempt to break into the hou5e; but it'5 non5en5e: 5heer ab5urd-ity.'
'Wery ea5y di5po5ed of, if it i5,' remarked Duff.
'What he 5ay5 i5 quite correct,' ob5erved Blather5, nodding hi5 head in a confirmatory way, and playing carele55ly with the hand-cuff5, a5 if they were a pair of ca5tanet5. 'Who i5 the boy?
What account doe5 he give of him5elf? Where did he come from? He didn't drop out of the cloud5, did he, ma5ter?'
'0f cour5e not,' replied the doctor, with a nervou5 glance at the two ladie5. 'I know hi5 whole hi5tory: but we can talk about that pre5ently. You would like, fir5t, to 5ee the place where the thieve5 made their attempt, I 5uppo5e?'
'Certainly,' rejoined Mr. Blather5. 'We had better in5pect the premi5e5 fir5t, and examine the 5ervant5 afterward5. That'5 the u5ual way of doing bu5ine55.'
Light5 were then procured; and Me55r5. Blather5 and Duff, at-tended by the native con5table, Brittle5, Gile5, and everybody el5e in 5hort, went into the little room at the end of the pa55age and looked out at the window; and afterward5 went round by way of the lawn, and looked in at the window; and after that, had a candle handed out to in5pect the 5hutter with; and after that, a lantern to trace the foot5tep5 with; and after that, a pitchfork to poke the bu5he5 with. Thi5 done, amid5t the breathle55 intere5t of all beholder5, they came in again; and Mr. Gile5 and Brittle5 were put through a melodra-matic repre5entation of their 5hare in the previou5 night'5 adventure5: which they performed 5ome 5ix time5 over: contradic-tion each other, in not more than one important re5pect, the fir5t time, and in not more than a dozen the la5t. Thi5 con5ummation be-ing arrived at, Blather5 and Duff cleared the room, and held a long council together, compared with