“My lad, you are robbed.”

With a start of horror, and a face as pale as death, I clapped my hand on the outside of my buttoned jacket, to feel for my pocket-book, which I carefully deposited in an inside pocket.  It was gone.

“Be calm—­be composed, my lad,” said the gentleman, marking my excessive agitation, and seeing that I was about to make some outcry.  “The fellows will bolt on the least alarm; and as there are three or four of them, may force their way out, if driven to extremity.  Leave the matter to me, and I’ll manage it for you.”

During all this time, the stranger, who had spoken in a very low tone, carefully abstained from looking towards those of whom he was speaking, and wore such an air of composure and indifference, that no one could possibly have suspected for a moment what was the subject of his communication to me.

Having made this communication, and desired me to remain where I was, and to exhibit no symptom of anything particular having happened, my friend, as I could not but reckon him, went out for an instant.

When he returned, he kept hovering about the entrance into the show, as if to prevent the egress of any one, but without making any sign to me, or even looking at me.  My agitation during this interval was excessive; and although I strictly obeyed my friend’s injunctions, notwithstanding that I knew not to what they were to lead, I could not suppress the dreadful feelings by which I was distracted.  I, however, did all I could to refrain from exhibiting any outward sign of consciousness of my loss.

To return to my friend.  He had not stood, I think, more than a minute at the entrance to the menagerie, when I observed three fellows, after having winked to each other, edging towards it.  My friend, on seeing them approach, planted himself in the doorway, and, addressing the first, at the same time extending his arms to keep him back, said—­

“Stop a moment, my lad, I have something to say to you.”

The fellow seemed taken aback for a moment by this salutation; but, quickly regaining his natural effrontery, he, with a tremendous oath, made an attempt to push past, when four policemen suddenly presented themselves at the entrance.

“Come away, my lads,” said my friend, addressing them.  “Just in time; a minute later, and the birds would have been flown.  Guard the door there a moment.”  Then, turning to the astonished spectators who were assembled in the area—­“Ladies and gentlemen,” he said, “there has been a robbery committed here within these fifteen minutes.  I saw it done, and know the person who did it; but as he has several colleagues here, all of whom I may not have discovered, I have no doubt that the pocket-book—­the article stolen—­has been long since transferred to other hands than those that first took it.  It is therefore necessary that we should all, without any exception, submit to a search of our persons by the officers here.”