154 THE PEARL TRADER
painted
ladies. They took to other ways, and so perforce must he. They were
ways less squeamish even than I have related, because, as he put it, he
could not bear "to come down in the world."
When
he was plaintiff a little while later in a civil case, the judge
remarked, "If the plaintiff is not more careful, he will find himself
one of these days in a place where he will have ample leisure to
reflect that while honesty may not be the best policy amongst jungle
folk, it is a good policy in this land."
Shortly
after, when he was in very low water indeed, Horse-face persuaded a
small Hatton Garden dealer to come to his succor, and in acknowledgment
of his indebtedness presented an IOU. Subsequently the dealer went
abroad for a few years to make his fortune, but when he returned to
Hatton Garden, his substance was that of the proverbial church mouse.
He then bethought himself of that IOU.
Horse-face,
however, did not rush to honor it, although he could have done so with
perfect ease. He made no excuses, but merely said, "Oh! fancy you
keeping this bit of paper by you all this time!" and, reaching over in
the most natural manner in the world, took it as though to inspect it.
Instead he tore it into a thousand tiny shreds and scattered them to
the winds then blowing between Holborn and Clerk-enwell, wearing the
while so villainous an expression that the other man was left in
speechless contemplation of a Satanic revelation.
The
old gentleman in the big wig proved himself a true prophet, for
twenty-three years later Horse-face found the predicted leisure for
reflection.
It
was now that the curb relegated him to the gutter. And it is there, if
your business takes you in the direction of Hatton Garden, that you
may find him any day, wet or fine.
.
. . Oh yes, there are tales a-plenty to tell of roguery in the world,
and perhaps the crime story has always been the most interesting of all
in every age and place. One of the
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