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then as we do now, or we should have spoiled your sport."—The fact was, that these two vagabonds were on constant duty every night, inside of that theatre; and I, consequently, knew them well, long before this fatal rencontre; but I always took care to shun them, and had never excited their suspicion, as I was not once during the whole season, detected in the course of my operations at that house.
We now arrived at the watch-house, where they proceeded to search me closely, but found nothing that had any relation to the present charge; and I must not omit that their first attention was directed to my little finger, no doubt in search of the mourning ring, mentioned in the hand-bills; but the said ring was at this time deposited as a pledge for the loan of one pound at a certain pawnbroker's, and I had on, in lieu thereof, a plain gold ring of trifling value; this they examined, and finding (to use their words) that there were "no letters on it," they suffered me to retain it. I happened unluckily to have on, this night, the very same dress I wore when I visited Mr. Bilger, namely, a black coat and waistcoat, blue pantaloons, Hessian boots, and the same hat, which was remarkable, being in the extreme of the newest fashion. The only variation was, that I had neither the gold watch, eye-glass, or mourning ring, about me, nor had I any powder in my hair; and I had on over my other clothes a
