DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.22217#0313
A HOUSE-BREAKER'S WIFE.
drudgery to earn a living. Everything was against him, of
course, and he went back steadily till his clothes would scarcely
allow him to appear on the street.
In making these investigations I was continually contrasting
Brettle's condition and evident inclinations with Dirty Dick's
prophecy, that I should soon have the ticket-of-leave man in
my hands, again, and with no success so far as a solution is
concerned. The promised " tip " had never come, and even
Dick was a mystery to me. I was at a loss to know whence
came the money which Dick spent so freely upon himself.
He did not work; he was too cowardly to engage in any act
of plundering likely to produce much gain ; and yet he had
abundance, while Brettle was in great want. Dick had the
reputation of being able to arrange a robbery very nicely, but
would never risk his own liberty in the affair, however tempting
the gain; but even knowing that to be a source of income to
him, I was at a loss to account for his seeming wealth. Thus
it chanced that my attention came to be more earnestly fixed
upon Dick than upon the man he had promised to betray into
my hands. When I saw Dick moving in a stealthy and cat-
like way before me, one day when I was passing along Princes
Street, and knew that he was quite unconscious of my presence,
I was quickly roused to an interest in his movements. I had
not watched him long, when I thought the solution of the
whole mystery was in my hands. It seemed to me that Dick's
new line was pocket-picking, and that he was following a likely
plant—an elderly gentleman and a lady—with the intention of
exercising his new art. After a time it dawned upon me that
Dick's cowardice was against him. Several chances occurred
which he did not attempt to make use of. At length the
gentleman went into one of the shops alone, and then, to my
surprise, the lady, who had remained standing at the window,
turned slightly, noticed Dick standing near, moved a little
closer to him, and addressed some words to him in a hurried
and constrained manner, which Dick as swiftly answered. The
lady then took out her purse, and, placing a coin in his hand,
turned once more to look in at the window, while Dick passed
on with the crowd as if nothing had happened. Now, had
Dick been the first to speak, and had the lady's manner been
different, I should have considered it an ordinary case of
begging, and had no scruple in following and taking Dick
But as it was I could only wonder what connection such
a haughty and evidently wealthy person could have with a
drudgery to earn a living. Everything was against him, of
course, and he went back steadily till his clothes would scarcely
allow him to appear on the street.
In making these investigations I was continually contrasting
Brettle's condition and evident inclinations with Dirty Dick's
prophecy, that I should soon have the ticket-of-leave man in
my hands, again, and with no success so far as a solution is
concerned. The promised " tip " had never come, and even
Dick was a mystery to me. I was at a loss to know whence
came the money which Dick spent so freely upon himself.
He did not work; he was too cowardly to engage in any act
of plundering likely to produce much gain ; and yet he had
abundance, while Brettle was in great want. Dick had the
reputation of being able to arrange a robbery very nicely, but
would never risk his own liberty in the affair, however tempting
the gain; but even knowing that to be a source of income to
him, I was at a loss to account for his seeming wealth. Thus
it chanced that my attention came to be more earnestly fixed
upon Dick than upon the man he had promised to betray into
my hands. When I saw Dick moving in a stealthy and cat-
like way before me, one day when I was passing along Princes
Street, and knew that he was quite unconscious of my presence,
I was quickly roused to an interest in his movements. I had
not watched him long, when I thought the solution of the
whole mystery was in my hands. It seemed to me that Dick's
new line was pocket-picking, and that he was following a likely
plant—an elderly gentleman and a lady—with the intention of
exercising his new art. After a time it dawned upon me that
Dick's cowardice was against him. Several chances occurred
which he did not attempt to make use of. At length the
gentleman went into one of the shops alone, and then, to my
surprise, the lady, who had remained standing at the window,
turned slightly, noticed Dick standing near, moved a little
closer to him, and addressed some words to him in a hurried
and constrained manner, which Dick as swiftly answered. The
lady then took out her purse, and, placing a coin in his hand,
turned once more to look in at the window, while Dick passed
on with the crowd as if nothing had happened. Now, had
Dick been the first to speak, and had the lady's manner been
different, I should have considered it an ordinary case of
begging, and had no scruple in following and taking Dick
But as it was I could only wonder what connection such
a haughty and evidently wealthy person could have with a