Scanlan, his original
acquaintance aboard the train, had occasion shortly afterwards to
move into Vermissa, and the two lodged together. There was no
other boarder, and the hostess was an easy-going old Irishwoman
who left them to themselves; so that they had a freedom for
speech and action welcome to men who had secrets in common.
Shafter had relented to the extent of letting McMurdo come to his
meals there when he liked; so that his intercourse with Ettie was
by no means broken. On the contrary, it drew closer and more
intimate as the weeks went by.
In his bedroom at his new abode McMurdo felt it safe to take out
the coining moulds, and under many a pledge of secrecy a number
of brothers from the lodge were allowed to come in and see them,
each carrying away in his pocket some examples of the false
money, so cunningly struck that there was never the slightest
difficulty or danger in passing it. Why, with such a wonderful
art at his command, McMurdo should condescend to work at all was
a perpetual mystery to his companions; though he made it clear to
anyone who asked him that if he lived without any visible means
it would very quickly bring the police upon his track.
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