You cant miss well your way, said the man surlily: the lights will direct you.
They have rather misled me, for they seem to surround the whole common, and there is no path across it that I can see; however, if you will put me in the right road, I will not trouble you further.
It is very late, replied the churlish landlord, equivocally.
The better reason why I should be at . Come, my good friend, put on your hat, and I will give you half a guinea for your trouble.
The man advanced, then halted; again surveyed his guest, and said, Are you quite alone, sir?
Quite.
Probably you are known at ?
Not I. But what matters that to you? I am a stranger in these parts.
It is full four miles.
So far, and I am fearfully tired already! exclaimed the young man with impatience. As he spoke he drew out his watch. Past eleven too!
The watch caught the eye of the cottager; that evil eye sparkled. He passed his hand over his brow. I am thinking, sir, he said in a more civil tone than he had yet assumed, that as you are so tired and the hour is so late, you might almost as well
What? exclaimed the stranger, stamping somewhat petulantly.
I dont like to mention it; but my poor roof is at your service, and I would go with you to at daybreak to-morrow.
The stranger stared at the cottager, and then at the dingy walls of the hut. He was about, very abruptly, to reject the hospitable proposal, when his eye rested suddenly on the form of Alice, who stood eager-eyed and open-mouthed, gazing on the handsome intruder. As she caught his eye, she blushed deeply and turned aside. The view seemed to change the intentions of the stranger. He hesitated a moment, then muttered between his teeth: and sinking his knapsack on the ground, he cast himself into a chair beside the fire, stretched his limbs, and cried gaily, So be it, my host: shut up your house again. Bring me a cup of beer, and a crust of bread, and so much for supper! As for bed, this chair will do vastly well.
Perhaps we can manage better for you than that chair, answered the host. But our best accommodation must seem bad enough to a gentleman: we are very poor peoplehard-working, but very poor.
Never mind me, answered the stranger, busying himself in stirring the fire; I am tolerably well accustomed to greater hardships than sleeping on a chair in an honest mans house; and though you are poor, I will take it for granted you are honest.
The man grinned: and turning to Alice, bade her spread what their larder would afford. Some crusts of bread, some cold potatoes, and some tolerably strong beer, composed all the fare set before the traveller.
Despite his previous boasts, the young man made a wry face at these Socratic preparations, while he drew his chair to the board. But his look grew more gay as he caught Alices eye; and as she lingered by the table, and faltered out some hesitating words of apology, he seized her hand, and pressing it tenderlyPrettiest of lasses, said heand while he spoke he gazed on her with undisguised admirationa man who has travelled on foot all day, through the ugliest country within the three seas, is sufficiently refreshed at night by the sight of so fair a face.
Alice hastily withdrew her hand, and went and seated herself in a corner of the room, when she continued to look at the stranger with her usual vacant gaze, but with a half-smile upon her rosy lips.
Alices father looked hard first at one, then at the other.
Eat, sir, said he, with a sort of chuckle, and no fine words; poor Alice is honest, as you said just now.
To be sure, answered the traveller, employing with great zeal a set of strong, even, and dazzling teeth at the tough crusts; to be sure she is. I did not mean to offend you; but the fact is, that I am half a foreigner; and abroad, you know, one may say a civil thing to a pretty girl without hurting her feelings, or her fathers either.
Half a foreigner! why, you talk English as well as I do, said the host, whose intonation and words were, on the whole, a little above his station.
The stranger smiled. Thank you for the compliment, said he. What I meant was, that I have been a great deal abroad; in fact, I have just returned from Germany. But I am English born.
And going home?
Yes.
Far from hence?
About thirty miles, I believe.
You are young, sir, to be alone.
The traveller made no answer, but finished his uninviting repast and drew his chair again to the fire. He then thought he had sufficiently ministered to his hosts curiosity to be entitled to the gratification of his own.
You work at the factories, I suppose? said he.
I do, sir. Bad times.
And your pretty daughter?
Minds the house.
Have you no other children?
No; one mouth besides my own is as much as I can feed, and that scarcely. But you would like to rest now; you can have my bed, sir; I can sleep here.
By no means, said the stranger, quickly; just put a few more coals on the fire, and leave me to make myself comfortable.
The man rose, and did not press his offer, but left the room for a supply of fuel. Alice remained in her corner.
Sweetheart, said the traveller, looking round and satisfying himself that they were alone: I should sleep well if I could get one kiss from those coral lips.
Alice hid her face with her hands.
Do I vex you?
Oh no, sir.
At this assurance the traveller rose, and approached Alice softly. He drew away her hands from her face, when she said gently, Have you much money about you?
Oh, the mercenary baggage! said the traveller to himself; and then replied aloud, Why, pretty one? Do you sell your kisses so high then?
Alice frowned and tossed the hair from her brow. If you have money, she said, in a whisper, dont say so to father. Dont sleep if you can help it. Im afraidhushhe comes!
The young man returned to his seat with an altered manner. And as his host entered, he for the first time surveyed him closely. The imperfect glimmer of the half-dying and single candle threw into strong lights and shades the marked, rugged, and ferocious features of the cottager; and the eye of the traveller, glancing from the face to the limbs and frame, saw that whatever of violence the mind might design, the body might well execute.
The traveller sank into a gloomy reverie. The wind howledthe rain beatthrough the casement shone no solitary starall was dark and sombre. Should he proceed alonemight he not suffer a greater danger upon that wide and desert moormight not the host followassault him in the dark? He had no weapon save a stick. But within he had at least a rude resource in the large kitchen poker that was beside him. At all events it would be better to wait for the present. He might at any time, when alone, withdraw the bolt from the door, and slip out unobserved. Such was the fruit of his meditations while his host plied the fire.
You will sleep sound to-night, said his entertainer, smiling.
You will sleep sound to-night, said his entertainer, smiling.
Humph! Why, I am over-fatigued; I dare say it will be an hour or two before I fall asleep; but when I once am asleep, I sleep like a rock!
Come, Alice, said her father, let us leave the gentleman. Goodnight, sir.
Good nightgood night, returned the traveller, yawning.
The father and daughter disappeared through a door in the corner of the room. The guest heard them ascend the creaking stairsall was still.
Fool that I am, said the traveller to himself, will nothing teach me that I am no longer a student at Gottingen, or cure me of these pedestrian adventures? Had it not been for that girls big blue eyes, I should be safe at by this time, if, indeed, the grim father had not murdered me by the road. However, well baulk him yet: another half-hour, and I am on the moor: we must give him time. And in the meanwhile here is the poker. At the worst it is but one to one; but the churl is strongly built.
Although the traveller thus endeavoured to cheer his courage, his heart beat more loudly than its wont. He kept his eyes stationed on the door by which the cottagers had vanished, and his hand on the massive poker.
While the stranger was thus employed below, Alice, instead of turning to her own narrow cell, went into her fathers room.
The cottager was seated at the foot of his bed muttering to himself, and with eyes fixed on the ground.
The girl stood before him, gazing on his face, and with her arms lightly crossed above her bosom.
It must be worth twenty guineas, said the host, abruptly to himself.
What is it to you, father, what the gentlemans watch is worth?
The man started.
You mean, continued Alice, quietly, you mean to do some injury to that young man; but you shall not.
The cottagers face grew black as night. How, he began in a loud voice, but suddenly dropped the tone into a deep growlhow dare you talk to me so?go to bedgo to bed.
No, father.
No?
I will not stir from this room until daybreak.
We will soon see that, said the man, with an oath.
Touch me, and I will alarm the gentleman, and tell him that
What?
The girl approached her father, placed her lips to his ear, and whispered, That you intend to murder him.
The cottagers frame trembled from head to foot; he shut his eyes, and gasped painfully for breath. Alice, said he, gently, after a pauseAlice, we are often nearly starving.
I amyou never!
Wretch, yes, if I do drink too much one day, I pinch for it the next. But go to bed, I sayI mean no harm to the young man. Think you I would twist myself a rope?no, no; go along, go along.
Alices face, which had before been earnest and almost intelligent, now relapsed into its wonted vacant stare.
To be sure, father, they would hang you if you cut his throat. Dont forget that;good night; and so saying, she walked to her own opposite chamber.
Left alone, the host pressed his hand tightly to his forehead, and remained motionless for nearly half an hour.
If that cursed girl would but sleep, he muttered at last, turning round, it might be done at once. And theres the pond behind, as deep as a well; and I might say at daybreak that the boy had bolted. He seems quite a stranger herenobodyll miss him. He must have plenty of blunt to give half a guinea to a guide across a common! I want money, and I wont workif I can help it, at least.
While he thus soliloquised the air seemed to oppress him; he opened the window, he leant outthe rain beat upon him. He closed the window with an oath; took off his shoes, stole to the threshold, and, by the candle, which he shaded with his hand, surveyed the opposite door. It was closed. He then bent anxiously forward and listened.
Alls quiet, thought he, perhaps he sleeps already. I will steal down. If Jack Walters would but come tonight, the job would be done charmingly.
With that he crept gently down the stairs. In a corner, at the foot of the staircase, lay sundry matters, a few faggots, and a cleaver. He caught up the last. Aha, he muttered; and theres the sledge-hammer somewhere for Walters. Leaning himself against the door, he then applied his eye to a chink which admitted a dim view of the room within, lighted fitfully by the fire.
CHAPTER II
What have we here?
A carrion death!
IT was about this time that the stranger deemed it advisable to commence his retreat. The slight and suppressed sound of voices, which at first he had heard above in the conversation of the father and child, had died away. The stillness at once encouraged and warned him. He stole to the front door, softly undid the bolt, and found the door locked, and the key missing. He had not observed that during his repast, and ere his suspicions had been aroused, his host, in replacing the bar, and relocking the entrance, had abstracted the key. His fears were now confirmed. His next thought was the windowthe shutter only protected it half-way, and was easily removed; but the aperture of the lattice, which only opened in part like most cottage casements, was far too small to admit his person. His only means of escape was in breaking the whole window; a matter not to be effected without noise and consequent risk.
He paused in despair. He was naturally of a strong-nerved and gallant temperament, nor unaccustomed to those perils of life and limb which German students delight to brave; but his heart well-nigh failed him at that moment. The silence became distinct and burdensome to him, and a chill moisture gathered to his brow. While he stood irresolute and in suspense, striving to collect his thoughts, his ear, preternaturally sharpened by fear, caught the faint muffled sound of creeping footstepshe heard the stairs creak. The sound broke the spell. The previous vague apprehension gave way, when the danger became actually at hand. His presence of mind returned at once. He went back quickly to the fireplace, seized the poker, and began stirring the fire, and coughing loud, and indicating as vigorously as possible that he was wide awake.
He felt that he was watchedhe felt that he was in momently peril. He felt that the appearance of slumber would be the signal for a mortal conflict. Time passed, all remained silent; nearly half an hour had elapsed since he had heard the steps upon the stairs. His situation began to prey upon his nerves, it irritated themit became intolerable. It was not now fear that he experienced, it was the overwrought sense of mortal enmitythe consciousness that a man may feel who knows that the eye of a tiger is on him, and who, while in suspense he has regained his courage, foresees that sooner or later the spring must come; the suspense itself becomes an agony, and he desires to expedite the deadly struggle he cannot shun.