“Now then, Mishter Leeftenant, vat vash de matter?”

“We are discovered, I’m afraid!” exclaimed Vanslyperken.

“Holy father Abraham!” exclaimed the Jew, starting back.  “But tell me vy you shay sho.”

“A woman told me this night that she knew why I came to your house—­that I was in her power.”

“Vat woman?”

“A hell-cat, who hates me as she does the devil.”

“A hell-cat vould not hate de divil,” slowly observed the Jew.

“Well, perhaps not; but she will ruin me if she can.”

“Vat vash her name?” said Lazarus.

“Moggy Salisbury.”

“Paah! is dat all? vy, my good friend, she is one of us.  Dere, you may go vay—­you may go to bed, Mr Vanslyperken.”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean dat she laughed at you, and frighten you—­dat she is one of us, and so is her husband, who vas in your chip.  Ven you hang, she and I vill all hang together; now you comprehend?”

“Yes,” replied Vanslyperken, “I do now:  but how could you trust such people?”

“Trust such people, Mr Vanslyperken?  If you prove as true as those peoples, vy all de bitter; now go avay—­go to bed—­you have vaked up all the peoples here.  Good night, Mr Leeftenant;” and the Jew led the way to the door, and let Vanslyperken out.

“So then,” thought Vanslyperken, as he pursued his way down to the Point, “that woman and her husband are—­damnation, but I’ve a great mind to discover all, if it’s only to hang them.”  But on second thoughts, Vanslyperken thought that it was not worth while to be hanged himself, just for the pleasure of hanging others.  It was a great relief to his mind to know that there was no fear of discovery.  The tip of his nose itched, and he rubbed it mechanically; the rubbing brought away all the skin.  He remembered the hot poker—­the money he had been forced to pay—­his being made to sing and to beg pardon on his knees; and he cursed Moggy in his heart, the more so, as he felt that he dare not take any steps against her.

When he came to the Point, he stood on the shingle, looking for his boat, but the men had waited till twelve o’clock, and then presuming that their commander did not intend to come at all that night, had pulled on board again.  He was looking round for a waterman to pull him off, when something cold touched his hand.  Vanslyperken started, and almost screamed with fear.  He looked, and it was the cold nose of Snarleyyow, who now leaped upon his master.

“Snarleyyow, my poor dog! how came you on shore?”

But the dog not being able to speak, made no answer.

While Vanslyperken was wondering how the dog could possibly have come on shore, and what Corporal Van Spitter could be about to have allowed it, the small casement of a garret window near him was opened, and a head was thrust out.

“Do you want to go on board, sir?” said a tremulous voice.