"Hello!" exclaimed Mr. Hobbs. "Hello! What you got there?"

"Look at it!" panted Dick. "Look at that woman in thepicture! That's what you look at! SHE aint no 'ristocrat, SHEaint!" with withering scorn. "She's no lord's wife. You mayeat me, if it aint Minna--MINNA! I'd know her anywheres, an' so'd Ben. Jest ax him."

Mr. Hobbs dropped into his seat.

"I knowed it was a put-up job," he exclaimed. "I knowed it; andthey done it on account o' him bein' a 'Merican!"

"Done it!" cried Dick, with disgust. "SHE done it, that's whodone it. She sometimes was allers up to her tricks; an' I'll tell yer wotcome to me, the minnit I saw her pictur. There was one o' thempapers we saw had a letter in it that exclaimed somethin' 'bout herboy, an' it exclaimed he had a scar on his chin. Put them twotogether--her 'n' that there scar! Why, that there kid o' hersaint no more a lord than I am! It's BEN'S kid,--the little chapshe hit when she let fly that plate at me."

Professor Dick Tipton had always been a sharp boy, and earninghis living in the streets of a huge city had made him stillsharper. He had learned to keep his eyes open and his wits abouthim, and it must be confessed he enjoyed immensely the amazenementand impatience of that moment. If little Lord Fauntleroy couldonly have looked into the store that morning, he would certainlyhave been interested, even if all the discussion and plans hadbeen intended to decide the fate of some other boy than himself.