"Give me your hand," said Joe softly, taking it whether theastonished vintner would or no. "Don"t fear to shake it; it"s afriendly one and a hearty one, though it has no fellow. Why, howwell you look and how bluff you are! And you--God bless you, sir.
Take heart, take heart. We"ll find them. Be of good cheer; wehave not been idle."
There was something so honest and frank in Joe"s speech, that MrHaredale put his hand in his involuntarily, though their meetingwas suspicious enough. But his glance at Edward Chester, and thatgentleman"s keeping aloof, were not lost upon Joe, who saidbluntly, glancing at Edward while he spoke:
"Times are changed, Mr Haredale, and times have come when we oughtto know friends from enemies, and make no confusion of names. Letme tell you that but for this gentleman, you would most likelyhave been dead by this time, or badly wounded at the best."
"What do you say?" cried Mr Haredale.
"I say," said Joe, "first, that it was a bold thing to be in thecrowd at all disguised as one of them; though I won"t say muchabout that, on second thoughts, for that"s my case too. Secondly,that it was a brave and glorious action--that"s what I call it--tostrike that fellow off his horse before their eyes!"
"What fellow! Whose eyes!"
"What fellow, sir!" cried Joe: "a fellow who has no goodwill toyou, and who has the daring and devilry in him of twenty fellows.
I know him of old. Once in the house, HE would have found you,here or anywhere. The rest owe you no particular grudge, and,unless they see you, will only think of drinking themselves dead.
But we lose time. Are you ready?"
"Quite," said Edward. "Put out the torch, Joe, and go on. And besilent, there"s a good fellow."
"Silent or not silent," murmured Joe, as he dropped the flaringlink upon the ground, crushed it with his foot, and gave his handto Mr Haredale, "it was a brave and glorious action;--no man can alter that."
Both Mr Haredale and the worthy vintner were too amazed and toomuch hurried to ask any further questions, so followed theirconductors in silence. It seemed, from a short whispering whichpresently ensued between them and the vintner relative to the bestway of escape, that they had entered by the back-door, with theconnivance of John Grueby, who watched outside with the key in hispocket, and whom they had taken into their confidence. A party ofthe crowd coming up that way, just as they entered, John haddouble-locked the door again, and made off for the soldiers, sothat means of retreat was cut off from under them.
However, as the front-door had been forced, and this minor crowd,being anxious to get at the liquor, had no fancy for losing time inbreaking down another, but had gone round and got in from Holbornwith the rest, the narrow lane in the rear was quite free ofpeople. So, when they had crawled through the passage indicated bythe vintner (which was a mere shelving-trap for the admission ofcasks), and had managed with some difficulty to unchain and raisethe door at the upper end, they emerged into the street withoutbeing observed or interrupted. Joe still holding Mr Haredaletight, and Edward taking the same care of the vintner, they hurried through the streets at a rapid pace; occasionally standing aside tolet some fugitives go by, or to keep out of the way of the soldierswho followed them, and whose questions, when they halted to putany, were speedily stopped by one whispered word from Joe.