So,' said Jowl, warming his hands at the fire, 'it's done at last. He

wanted more persuading than I expected. It's three weeks ago, since

we first put this in his head. What'll he bring, do you think?'

Whatever he brings, it's halved between us,' returned Isaac List.

The other man nodded. 'We must make quick work of it,' he said, 'and

then cut his acquaintance, or we may be suspected. Sharp's the word.'

List and the gipsy acquiesced. When they had all three amused

themselves a little with their victim's infatuation, they dismissed the

subject as one which had been sufficiently discussed, and began to

talk in a jargon which the child did not understand. As their discourse

appeared to relate to matters in which they were warmly interested,

however, she deemed it the best time for escaping unobserved; and

crept away with slow and cautious steps, keeping in the shadow of the

hedges, or forcing a path through them or the dry ditches, until she

could emerge upon the road at a point beyond their range of vision.

Then she fled homeward as quickly as she could, torn and bleeding

from the wounds of thorns and briars, but more lacerated in mind,

and threw herself upon her bed, distracted.

The first idea that flashed upon her mind was flight, instant flight;

dragging him from that place, and rather dying of want upon the

roadside, than ever exposing him again to such terrible temptations.

Then, she remembered that the crime was not to be committed until

next night, and there was the intermediate time for thinking, and

resolving what to do. Then, she was distracted with a horrible fear

that he might be committing it at that moment; with a dread of

hearing shrieks and cries piercing the silence of the night; with fearful

thoughts of what he might be tempted and led on to do, if he were

detected in the act, and had but a woman to struggle with. It was

impossible to bear such torture. She stole to the room where the

money was, opened the door, and looked in. God be praised! He was

not there, and she was sleeping soundly.

She went back to her own room, and tried to prepare herself for bed.

But who could sleep - sleep! who could lie passively down, distracted

by such terrors? They came upon her more and more strongly yet.

Half undressed, and with her hair in wild disorder, she flew to the old

man's bedside, clasped him by the wrist, and roused him from his

sleep.

What's this!' he cried, starting up in bed, and fixing his eyes upon her

spectral face.

I have had a dreadful dream,' said the child, with an energy that

nothing but such terrors could have inspired. 'A dreadful, horrible

The Old Curiosity Shop