The String of Pearls (1850), p. 595

CHAPTER CXXXIX.
THE ADVENTURES IN CAEN WOOD OF THE TWO MURDERERS.

Todd was so much exhausted by the time they reached the wood, that he at once cast himself to the ground upon a heap of dry leaves, and he felt that he was speaking only the truth when he said—
"I could not go a step further just now, if it were to give my life, I feel that I could not; and here 1 must lie and rest."
"Dear me!" said Mr. Lupin; "what a poor creature you must be. How old are you, Mr. Todd?"
"I don't know," said Todd. "The church I was christened at was burnt down only the day after, and all the books burnt. My father and mother are dead, and the nurse was hanged, and the doctor cut his throat."
"Upon my word," said Lupin, "they were a lively set. I suppose it was remorse did all that?"
"Remorse! What do you mean by remorse?"
"Why that sort of feeling, you know, might be awakened in their minds, by finding that you were not exactly the sort of baby that was expected. You must have looked a beauty in long-clothes, Todd; and as for your age, I should guess it about fifty-five."
"Guess your own age," said Todd, "and leave mine alone."
"Oh, if it's at all a sore subject I won't say another word about it. But come now, Todd, you charming creature, could you not manage to crawl a little way further?"
"What for? If we are safe in the wood at all, we are safe enough here where we are now."
"But, my dear friend, you quite forget."
"What—what? What do I forget? Don't plague me, Lupin. It is enough just now to remember that we have by almost a miracle made an escape from Newgate; and as for fogetting, I would be right glad to forget if I could that I had ever been there; but that will be impossible. "
"It won't be very easy," said Lupin, "and if possible, it will take a long time; but what I was just mildly going to remind you of was, that in this wood your two thousand pounds, you know, are hidden, and that we were to share the amount.''
"Ah, my dear friend, yes, I had not forgotten that little affair. It is, of course, very important ; but let me rest a little, if you please."
"Oh, certainly—certainly. "
"And then, my dear companion, it will be necessary to get a spade, you know, to dig it up. Our nails decidedly are neither long enough or strong enough, and I don't at all see how it is to be done without a spade, or something that shall be a good substitute for one."
"Oh, nonsense," said Lupin. "How deep do you suppose it lies?"
"About two feet."
"Very good then, you need give yourself no uneasiness about the digging it up. I have the chisel and the two files here; if I can't dig two feet into the earth with them, and my hands to shovel out the mould with, I'm a Dutchman, that's all. Only you show me the spot, that's all, and I won't ask you to tire yourself in the matter."
"In a little," said Todd, "in a little. Without being so old as you would make me out, I am still older than you are Lupin, and cannot go throught the amount of fatigue that you can. Just let me recover myself a little, and then instead of crawling to the spot where my money lies hidden, I shall be well able to walk to it and show it to you."
"Very good—very good. Of course I don't want to hurry you too much about the matter, only the sooner we do get a hold of the two thousand pounds the better. I wonder, too, that you don't feel rather anxious to see that it is quite