that you would make of my advances treble and quadruple the interest you paid me, that I’d have advanced you even now what you want, on your simple note of hand, though I had been led to suspect something wrong, if I hadn’t unexpectedly become acquainted with your secret way of life.’

‘Who is it,’ retorted the old man desperately, ‘that notwithstanding all my caution, told you that! Come. Let me know the name — the person.’

The crafty dwarf, bethinking himself that his giving up the child would lead to the disclosure of the artifice he had employed, which, as nothing was to be gained by it, it was as well to conceal, stopped short in his answer and said, ‘Now, who do you think?’

‘It was Kit, it must have been the boy; he played the spy and you tampered with him?’ said the old man.

‘How came you to think of him?’ said the dwarf in a tone of great commiseration. ‘Yes, it was Kit. Poor Kit!’

So saying, he nodded in a friendly manner, and took his leave, stopping when he had passed the outer door a little distance, and grinning with extraordinary delight.

‘Poor Kit!’ muttered Quilp.’ I think it was Kit who said I was an uglier dwarf than could be seen anywhere for a penny, wasn’t it. Ha ha ha! Poor Kit!’

And with that he went his way, still chuckling as he went.