"They would have if I hadn't been at hand, though."

"Yes; but you were at hand, you know, so they couldn't."

Perhaps the answer was deeper in purport than either Diamond
or the policeman knew. They walked away together, Diamond telling
his new friend how ill poor Nanny was, and that he was going to let
the tall gentleman know. The policeman put him in the nearest way
for Bloomsbury, and stepping out in good earnest, Diamond reached
Mr. Raymond's door in less than an hour. When he asked if he
was at home, the servant, in return, asked what he wanted.

"I want to tell him something."

"But I can't go and trouble him with such a message as that."

"He told me to come to him--that is, when I could read--and I can."

"How am I to know that?"

Diamond stared with astonishment for one moment, then answered:

"Why, I've just told you. That's how you know it."

But this man was made of coarser grain than the policeman,
and, instead of seeing that Diamond could not tell a lie,
he put his answer down as impudence, and saying, "Do you
think I'm going to take your word for it?" shut the door in his face.