assure you I am not – and if I were, I would be legally bound to tell you. Is that not correct?’
‘I . . . I suppose so.’
‘Miss – I believe you can aid me greatly. I see that you have rather an attractive brooch there at your breast . . .’
‘Why, and I thought you were a gentleman! A fine one you are, looking at my—’
‘Please, let us dispense with such banter. I can see immediately that it is not a genuine diamond, no matter what your benefactor may have told you. Even so, I will buy it from
you.’
‘It is not for sale, at least not to one so rude as yourself.’
‘It is worth perhaps two shillings, but here is a sovereign.’
‘I . . . well . . . all right.’
‘But before you remove your brooch so readily, let me explain my terms. I will give you your sovereign but you will keep the brooch. For the money, you will disembark at the Custom House
and simply make your way to the Tower. If I do not meet you there after ten minutes to collect the brooch, you may keep both the brooch and the sovereign.’
‘I say, what is this all about, sir? I am no criminal.’
‘It is simply as I say. All you need to do is walk to the Tower with my money in your pocket. Do you agree?’
The ferry passed under an arch of London-bridge, casting a shadow over them. For a moment they might have been in a watery cave rather than at the centre of the world.
‘I will do it,’ said the magdalene, finally seeing no disadvantage in the deal.
‘Good girl. Go now so that you are among the first across the gangplank. I will observe you and will follow.’
The engines altered their tone. The paddles slowed their thrashing of the water. From up on deck, the broad Custom House quay looked like chaos: all hawkers, clerks, merchants, idlers, visiters
to the Tower and, of course, the lines of continental passengers with their luggage.
Noah looked carefully over the crowds. As a child of the streets, he saw the city unlike other Londoners. Those raised in the comfort of a home lived their lives among a limited network of
roads, seldom venturing beyond the known shops, offices and residences of friends. To one who called the whole city his home, every metropolitan space had a life and character of its own. At a
glance, and often from their pace or gait alone, he might pick out the stranger, the worker, the beggar and the thief. He saw not mere streets, but catalogues of characters.
And there was one who attracted Noah’s attention after just a few moments. The man was waiting, but evidently not for a vessel, for he showed no urgency or interest in moving closer to the
embarkation points. His left arm appeared to hang limply in a soiled sling around his neck, yet he showed no awareness of caution for his damaged limb as the people pressed all around him.
The gangplank was lowered and the ferry passengers surged across it. Noah watched the man with the sling, who had positioned himself in a place where the people would flow past him. As they did
so, each one was scrutinized with a rapid up-and-down glance . . . until the street girl walked by, looking over her shoulder to see if Noah was watching her. At that moment, the
‘injured’ man stepped in front of her, causing her to almost trip. A swift mutual apology was effected, and then both went on their ways.
Noah smiled and stepped quickly to join the remaining disembarking passengers, all the while keeping his target – the ‘one-armed’ gentleman – in sight. He would never
again see the girl, who had earned her sovereign but lost her brooch.
Once on the quay, Noah assumed the role of a passenger waiting for the Havre ferry, all the while watching with growing amusement as the ‘one-armed’ man bumped into numerous other
people too distracted to notice that they were missing their pocketbooks, bracelets, tiepins, handkerchiefs or brooches. Finally, after about half an hour, good sense dictated that it was time the
thief left his workplace lest
‘I . . . I suppose so.’
‘Miss – I believe you can aid me greatly. I see that you have rather an attractive brooch there at your breast . . .’
‘Why, and I thought you were a gentleman! A fine one you are, looking at my—’
‘Please, let us dispense with such banter. I can see immediately that it is not a genuine diamond, no matter what your benefactor may have told you. Even so, I will buy it from
you.’
‘It is not for sale, at least not to one so rude as yourself.’
‘It is worth perhaps two shillings, but here is a sovereign.’
‘I . . . well . . . all right.’
‘But before you remove your brooch so readily, let me explain my terms. I will give you your sovereign but you will keep the brooch. For the money, you will disembark at the Custom House
and simply make your way to the Tower. If I do not meet you there after ten minutes to collect the brooch, you may keep both the brooch and the sovereign.’
‘I say, what is this all about, sir? I am no criminal.’
‘It is simply as I say. All you need to do is walk to the Tower with my money in your pocket. Do you agree?’
The ferry passed under an arch of London-bridge, casting a shadow over them. For a moment they might have been in a watery cave rather than at the centre of the world.
‘I will do it,’ said the magdalene, finally seeing no disadvantage in the deal.
‘Good girl. Go now so that you are among the first across the gangplank. I will observe you and will follow.’
The engines altered their tone. The paddles slowed their thrashing of the water. From up on deck, the broad Custom House quay looked like chaos: all hawkers, clerks, merchants, idlers, visiters
to the Tower and, of course, the lines of continental passengers with their luggage.
Noah looked carefully over the crowds. As a child of the streets, he saw the city unlike other Londoners. Those raised in the comfort of a home lived their lives among a limited network of
roads, seldom venturing beyond the known shops, offices and residences of friends. To one who called the whole city his home, every metropolitan space had a life and character of its own. At a
glance, and often from their pace or gait alone, he might pick out the stranger, the worker, the beggar and the thief. He saw not mere streets, but catalogues of characters.
And there was one who attracted Noah’s attention after just a few moments. The man was waiting, but evidently not for a vessel, for he showed no urgency or interest in moving closer to the
embarkation points. His left arm appeared to hang limply in a soiled sling around his neck, yet he showed no awareness of caution for his damaged limb as the people pressed all around him.
The gangplank was lowered and the ferry passengers surged across it. Noah watched the man with the sling, who had positioned himself in a place where the people would flow past him. As they did
so, each one was scrutinized with a rapid up-and-down glance . . . until the street girl walked by, looking over her shoulder to see if Noah was watching her. At that moment, the
‘injured’ man stepped in front of her, causing her to almost trip. A swift mutual apology was effected, and then both went on their ways.
Noah smiled and stepped quickly to join the remaining disembarking passengers, all the while keeping his target – the ‘one-armed’ gentleman – in sight. He would never
again see the girl, who had earned her sovereign but lost her brooch.
Once on the quay, Noah assumed the role of a passenger waiting for the Havre ferry, all the while watching with growing amusement as the ‘one-armed’ man bumped into numerous other
people too distracted to notice that they were missing their pocketbooks, bracelets, tiepins, handkerchiefs or brooches. Finally, after about half an hour, good sense dictated that it was time the
thief left his workplace lest
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