On Friday, nothing happened--except that one of the dogs showed signs of

a breaking out behind the ears. I gave him a dose of syrup of buckthorn,

and put him on a diet of pot-liquor and vegetables till further orders.

Excuse my mentioning this. It has slipped in somehow. Pass it over

please. I am fast coming to the end of my offences against your

cultivated modern taste. Besides, the dog was a good creature, and

deserved a good physicking; he did indeed.

Saturday, the last day of the week, is also the last day in my

narrative.

The morning's post brought me a surprise in the shape of a London

Advertisement..

newspaper. The handwriting on the direction puzzled me. I compared it

with the money-lender's name and address as recorded in my pocket-book,

and identified it at once as the writing of Sergeant Cuff.

Looking through the paper eagerly enough, after this discovery, I found

an ink-mark drawn round one of the police reports. Here it is, at your

service. Read it as I read it, and you will set the right value on the

Sergeant's polite attention in sending me the news of the day: "LAMBETH--Shortly before the closing of the court, Mr. Septimus Luker,

the well-known dealer in ancient gems, carvings, intagli, &c., &c.,

applied to the sitting magistrate for advice. The applicant stated that

he had been annoyed, at intervals throughout the day, by the proceedings

of some of those strolling Indians who infest the streets. The persons

complained of were three in number. After having been sent away by the

police, they had returned again and again, and had attempted to enter

the house on pretence of asking for charity. Warned off in the front,

they had been discovered again at the back of the premises. Besides the

annoyance complained of, Mr. Luker expressed himself as being under

some apprehension that robbery might be contemplated. His collection

contained many unique gems, both classical and Oriental, of the highest

value. He had only the day before been compelled to dismiss a skilled

workman in ivory carving from his employment (a native of India, as we

understood), on suspicion of attempted theft; and he felt by no means

sure that this man and the street jugglers of whom he complained, might

not be acting in concert. It might be their object to collect a crowd,

and create a disturbance in the street, and, in the confusion thus

caused, to obtain access to the house. In reply to the magistrate, Mr.

Luker admitted that he had no evidence to produce of any attempt

at robbery being in contemplation. He could speak positively to the

annoyance and interruption caused by the Indians, but not to anything

else. The magistrate remarked that, if the annoyance were repeated,

the applicant could summon the Indians to that court, where they might

easily be dealt with under the Act. As to the valuables in Mr. Luker's

possession, Mr. Luker himself must take the best measures for their safe

custody. He would do well perhaps to communicate with the police, and to

adopt such additional precautions as their experience might suggest. The

applicant thanked his worship, and withdrew."




Most Popular