"He was not so much afraid when he heard me say so, and,
peeping cautiously out, he looked and listened awhile, and then,
drawing back, he said in a whisper, 'They are both living men,
and one of them is he I passed at the corner.'
"'That he is not,' said I, emphatically. 'To that I will make oath.'
"He smiled and shook his head, and then added, 'I never then saw
a man before, whom I could not know again, particularly if he
was the very last I had seen. But what matters it whether it be or
not? As it is no concern of ours, let us sit down and enjoy
ourselves.'
'But it does matter a very great deal with me, sir,' said I.
'Bless me, my head is giddy--my breath quite gone, and I feel as if
I were surrounded with fiends. Who are you, sir?'
'You shall know that ere we two part, my love,' said he. 'I cannot
conceive why the return of this young gentleman to the spot he so
lately left should discompose you. I suppose he got a glance of
you as he passed, and has returned to look after you, and that is
the whole secret of the matter.'
"'If you will be so civil as to walk out and join him then, it will
oblige me hugely,' said I, 'for I never in my life experienced such
boding apprehensions of evil company.
Pages:
102
103
104
105
106
107
108
109
110
111
112
113
114
115
116
117
118
119
120
121
122
123
124
125
126