From information I received I knowed my customer was somewhere out Soho way, in one o them big old houses as is all let out in lodgings, and full of Frenchies, and Hightalians, and sich. Reglar furren colony, you know, all the way towards Leicester-square. My customer had been a clerk in a City firm, and had been hard at work makin hisself a fortun at bettin. He used to work hard at it, too, allus making his book so that hed bet on the safe side, whatever
oss won; and I dont know what he warnt going to make out of it.
On the strength of what was a-comin, and to pay some little expenses as he used to come in for through a werry smart sort o lady as he courted, he used to borrow money of his govnor, just on the quiet-like, without bothering of him when he knowed he was busy. So he used to sign his govnors name for him on bits o cheques, and get what tin he wanted from the bank; but allus meant to pay it back again when he got in his heavy amounts as he was to win at Epsom, or Ascot, SLeger, or Newmarket.
Well, you see this sweetheart of his was jest sech another as that Miss Millwood as did for George Barnwell, and she was a regular dragon at spending money. Consequently my young friend was allus a borrowin of his govnor, as I telled you jest now; and at last of all he wouldnt stand it any longer, for it was bleeding him precious heavy. Besides which, he wanted to know who was being so kind to him and savin him so much trouble about his ortygruff, as he called it. So with a little bit o dodgin, in which I assisted, my customer was treed; and then, watchin his chance, he runs, and I has to find him. In fact, yer know, he was what we calls wanted.
But I could tell pretty well where my gentleman would be, so when Id got my instructions I goes off to look arter him.
Jest as a matter of form I goes to his lodgins; but, jest as I expected, he wasnt there; so then I goes on to Soho, where his lady had apartments. I was in plain clothes, so when I asked for her the people let me in at once, and said I should find her in the first-floor front. I left my mate on the other side o the street, for I didnt expect any opposition, so I walks upstairs to the door, turned the handle quietly, and walks in when I gave a bit of a start, for the place was nearly dark, and would have been quite, if it hadnt been for the gas shining up out of the street, and making patches of light on the wall; while, as the lamps aint werry close together in that part, it wasnt such a great deal o light as got in that ways. If Id been in uniform I should have had my bulls-eye; but, as I warnt, why, I hadnt; so I looks round the room, and, as far as I could see, it was nicely furnished, but there was nobody there; so I gives a kick under the table, but there was no one there neither; but on it I could just make out as there was a decanter and two glasses and some biscuits.
Well, only naterally, I takes old o the decanter with one hand, pulls out the stopper with the other, and has a smell. No mistake about it sherry.
There was the glasses all ready, and there was my mouth all ready; so I pours out a glassful all ready too, and I was just a-goin to raise the glass to my lips, when a thought struck me, and I says to myself:
You air a niste promisin young officer, you air. Youre aspiring to be a detective, you air; and jest in the midst o business youre a-goin to commit yourself like that. How do you know it aint a trap?
Well, you see, that was rather a settler; so I leaves the glass alone, though it was rather hard work, and then I has another look, and sees as there was foldin doors leading into the back room, and one o them doors was not close shut.
My finger goes up to the side o my nose, and I gives myself a wink, and slips out again to see if there warnt a door outer the back room on to the landing. As a matter o course there it was, so that any one might slip out o that hole while I went in at tother. So I slips in again and feels as there was one o them little turning bolts on the folding door; so I claps the door to, turns the bolt, and was out again on to the landing in a jiffy.
I neednt have hurried myself, though, for all was as quiet as could be; and I thought as there was no one there, but of course I has to make sure. All at once I thinks that perhaps the landing door would be locked in side, and as Id shut the folding door that would be locked too, so that I should be obliged to have em broken open, and this was the sort of house where you wouldnt have a row if you could help it.
How-so-be, sir, I tries the landing door, and finds it open easy enough, and then I was inside the room, but what sort of a place it was I couldnt tell, for it was as dark as Ejup. Of course I expect it was a bedroom, and thinks as I should soon feel the bedstead, as would fill up a good bit o the place. But fust of all I drops down upon my hands and knees; so as if anybody hit at me, or shot at me, or tried any o them little games in the dark, as theyd most likely do it at the height of a man, why it would go over one, and only hit the furniture, which can be replaced, when you cant replace active and enterprising officers leave alone being cut off in the flower of ones youth, you know.