"What of that? Be merry, master. A stave of a roaring song now"-"Sing you, if you desire to hear one," replied the other, shakinghim roughly off; "and don"t touch me if you"re a prudent man; Icarry arms which go off easily--they have done so, before now--andmake it dangerous for strangers who don"t know the trick of them,to lay hands upon me."
"Do you threaten?" said the fellow.
"Yes," returned the other, rising and turning upon him, and lookingfiercely round as if in apprehension of a general attack.
His voice, and look, and bearing--all expressive of the wildestrecklessness and desperation--daunted while they repelled thebystanders. Although in a very different sphere of action now,they were not without much of the effect they had wrought at theMaypole Inn.
"I am what you all are, and live as you all do," said the mansternly, after a short silence. "I am in hiding here like therest, and if we were surprised would perhaps do my part with thebest of ye. If it"s my humour to be left to myself, let me haveit. Otherwise,"--and here he swore a tremendous oath--"there"ll bemischief done in this place, though there ARE odds of a scoreagainst me."
A low murmur, having its origin perhaps in a dread of the man andthe mystery that surrounded him, or perhaps in a sincere opinion onthe part of some of those present, that it would be an inconvenientprecedent to meddle too curiously with a gentleman"s privateaffairs if he saw reason to conceal them, warned the fellow whohad occasioned this discussion that he had best pursue it nofurther. After a short time the strange man lay down upon a benchto sleep, and when they thought of him again, they found he wasgone.
Next night, as soon as it was dark, he was abroad again andtraversing the streets; he was before the locksmith"s house morethan once, but the family were out, and it was close shut. Thisnight he crossed London Bridge and passed into Southwark. As he glided down a bye street, a woman with a little basket on her arm,turned into it at the other end. Directly he observed her, hesought the shelter of an archway, and stood aside until she hadpassed. Then he emerged cautiously from his hiding-place, andfollowed.
She went into several shops to purchase various kinds of householdnecessaries, and round every place at which she stopped he hoveredlike her evil spirit; following her when she reappeared. It wasnigh eleven o"clock, and the passengers in the streets werethinning fast, when she turned, doubtless to go home. The phantomstill followed her.
She turned into the same bye street in which he had seen her first,which, being free from shops, and narrow, was extremely dark. Shequickened her pace here, as though distrustful of being stopped,and robbed of such trifling property as she carried with her. Hecrept along on the other side of the road. Had she been giftedwith the speed of wind, it seemed as if his terrible shadow wouldhave tracked her down.
At length the widow--for she it was--reached her own door, and,panting for breath, paused to take the key from her basket. In a flush and glow, with the haste she had made, and the pleasure ofbeing safe at home, she stooped to draw it out, when, raising herhead, she saw him standing silently beside her: the apparition ofa dream.
His hand was on her mouth, but that was needless, for her tongueclove to its roof, and her power of utterance was gone. "I havebeen looking for you many nights. Is the house empty? Answer me.
Is any one inside?"
She could only answer by a rattle in her throat.
"Make me a sign."
She seemed to indicate that there was no one there. He took thekey, unlocked the door, carried her in, and secured it carefullybehind them.