they laid their hands on him, and all began talking at once,
for each wanted to get some advantage over her neighbours.
He told them quite quietly, for he was not frightened, that he
had come to see what was the matter with Nanny.

"What do you know about Nanny?" said one of them fiercely. "Wait till
old Sal comes home, and you'll catch it, for going prying into her
house when she's out. If you don't give me your jacket directly,
I'll go and fetch her."

"I can't give you my jacket," said Diamond. "It belongs to my
father and mother, you know. It's not mine to give. Is it now?
You would not think it right to give away what wasn't yours--
would you now?"

"Give it away! No, that I wouldn't; I'd keep it," she said,
with a rough laugh. "But if the jacket ain't yours, what right have
you to keep it? Here, Cherry, make haste. It'll be one go apiece."

They all began to tug at the jacket, while Diamond stooped and kept
his arms bent to resist them. Before they had done him or the jacket
any harm, however, suddenly they all scampered away; and Diamond,
looking in the opposite direction, saw the tall policeman coming
towards him.

"You had better have let me come with you, little man," he said,
looking down in Diamond's face, which was flushed with his resistance.

"You came just in the right time, thank you," returned Diamond.
"They've done me no harm."