“Because he will only help for a price,” Daniel said in a hard voice. “This gent wants our loyalty. He not only knows about Naismith, but is Naismith’s enemy. He’ll say anything to gain more soldiers on his side.”

“Not soldiers,” Mr. Fielding said quickly. “He is not asking us to fight battles.”

Daniel threw him a dark look. “He will ensnare you until you are doing what he likes, when he likes. All in return for the dubious ability to help us prove Naismith fomented a raid twenty-five years ago.”

“This is closer than we’ve ever come, Danny, my boy. I’d think you’d rush to the man with open arms.”

“Daniel is prudent,” I ventured. I also wondered if Daniel hesitated because of the jobs he did for the police. He could hardly take up associating with a criminal without Scotland Yard objecting. The bespectacled man’s cold gaze told me he’d not be very forgiving.

“Prudent to the point of prissiness,” Mr. Fielding said in derision. “My brother used to rush in where angels feared to tread. How the mighty have fallen.”

“Exactly,” Daniel said. “I learned prudence from the many times I nearly had all my limbs pulled off for my bravado. I will bide my time.”

“Very well. I will tell this man I could not convince you. No matter. I’ll find out what he knows by myself.”

Mr. Thanos had been watching this exchange with a puzzled expression. “Aren’t you a vicar, sir?” he asked.

Mr. Fielding turned the derisiveness on Mr. Thanos. “Do not worry. None of my flock will be harmed by my machinations.”

“How do you know?” Mr. Thanos asked.

Mr. Fielding flushed. He started to answer, then spluttered and jumped to his feet. “Lord help me, I’m surrounded by namby-pamby fools. McAdam, if you are not too timorous to join me in Seven Dials, I will hie there myself. I’d prefer not to have to hire fists, as such men can turn on one, but I will if I have to. Of course, I’m used to blokes turning on me.”

The bitterness in his words was remarkable. Mr. Fielding had changed from the silver-tongued but good-natured reprobate I’d first met to a hard and vitriolic man.

I rose and put myself in front of him. “Mr. Fielding, I know you are grieving,” I said as gently as I could. “But do not let Nurse Betts’s trust in you be for nothing. I do believe those in heaven see our actions or know of them somehow. Make her proud of you.”

Mr. Fielding regarded me with eyes that held anger—a deep, terrible anger whose short reprieve had been snatched away. Nothing of the vicar was in the man who looked at me now.