“A shovel,” answered Venus. “And he knows how to use it, remember, fifty times as well as either of us.”
“If he looks for it and misses it, partner,” suggested Wegg, “what shall we do?”
“First of all, wait till he does,” said Venus.
Discreet advice too, for he darkened his lantern again, and the mound turned black. After a few seconds, he turned the light on once more, and was seen standing at the foot of the second mound, slowly raising the lantern little by little until he held it up at arm’s length, as if he were examining the condition of the whole surface.
“That can’t be the spot too?” said Venus.
“No,” said Wegg, “he’s getting cold.”
“It strikes me,” whispered Venus, “that he wants to find out whether anyone has been groping about there.”
“Hush!” returned Wegg, “he’s getting colder and colder.—Now he’s freezing!”
This exclamation was elicited by his having turned the lantern off again, and on again, and being visible at the foot of the third mound.
“Why, he’s going up it!” said Venus.
“Shovel and all!” said Wegg.
At a nimbler trot, as if the shovel over his shoulder stimulated him by reviving old associations, Mr. Boffin ascended the “serpentining walk,”