all compose ourselves to listen with great interest and attention.
‘Tally-ho Thompson,’ says Sergeant Witchem, after merely wetting
his lips with his brandy-and-water, ‘Tally-ho Thompson was a famous
horse-stealer, couper, and magsman. Thompson, in conjunction with
a pal that occasionally worked with him, gammoned a countryman out
of a good round sum of money, under pretence of getting him a
situation – the regular old dodge – and was afterwards in the “Hue
and Cry” for a horse – a horse that he stole down in Hertfordshire.
I had to look after Thompson, and I applied myself, of course, in
the first instance, to discovering where he was. Now, Thompson’s
wife lived, along with a little daughter, at Chelsea. Knowing that
Thompson was somewhere in the country, I watched the house –
especially at post-time in the morning – thinking Thompson was
pretty likely to write to her. Sure enough, one morning the
postman comes up, and delivers a letter at Mrs. Thompson’s door.
Little girl opens the door, and takes it in. We’re not always sure
of postmen, though the people at the post-offices are always very
obliging. A postman may help us, or he may not, – just as it
happens. However, I go across the road, and I say to the postman,
after he has left the letter, “Good morning! how are you?” “How
are YOU!” says he. “You’ve just delivered a letter for Mrs.
Thompson.” “Yes, I have.” “You didn’t happen to remark what the
post-mark was, perhaps?” “No,” says he, “I didn’t.” “Come,” says
I, “I’ll be plain with you. I’m in a small way of business, and I
have given Thompson credit, and I can’t afford to lose what he owes
me. I know he’s got money, and I know he’s in the country, and if
you could tell me what the post-mark was, I should be very much
obliged to you, and you’d do a service to a tradesman in a small
way of business that can’t afford a loss.” “Well,” he said, “I do
assure you that I did not observe what the post-mark was; all I
know is, that there was money in the letter – I should say a
sovereign.” This was enough for me, because of course I knew that
Thompson having sent his wife money, it was probable she’d write to
Thompson, by return of post, to acknowledge the receipt. So I said
“Thankee” to the postman, and I kept on the watch. In the
afternoon I saw the little girl come out. Of course I followed
her. She went into a stationer’s shop, and I needn’t say to you
that I looked in at the window. She bought some writing-paper and
envelopes, and a pen. I think to myself, “That’ll do!” – watch her
home again – and don’t go away, you may be sure, knowing that Mrs.
Thompson was writing her letter to Tally-ho, and that the letter
would be posted presently. In about an hour or so, out came the
little girl again, with the letter in her hand. I went up, and
said something to the child, whatever it might have been; but I
couldn’t see the direction of the letter, because she held it with
the seal upwards. However, I observed that on the back of the
letter there was what we call a kiss – a drop of wax by the side of
the seal – and again, you understand, that was enough for me. I
saw her post the letter, waited till she was gone, then went into
the shop, and asked to see the Master. When he came out, I told
him, “Now, I’m an Officer in the Detective Force; there’s a letter
with a kiss been posted here just now, for a man that I’m in search
of; and what I have to ask of you, is, that you will let me look at
Page 76
Dickens, Charles – Reprinted Pieces
the direction of that letter.” He was very civil – took a lot of
letters from the box in the window – shook ’em out on the counter
with the faces downwards – and there among ’em was the identical
Page: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 70 71 72 73 74 75 76 77 78 79 80 81 82 83 84 85 86 87 88 89 90 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 100 101 102 103 104 105 106 107 108 109 110 111 112 113 114 115 116 117 118 119 120 121 122 123 124 125 126 127 128 129 130 131 132 133