SOME GENTLEMAN'S AUTOBIOGRAPHY. 157 



me to try yours." So saying I snatched them off with irresistable fami- 

 liaritybut, good God ! what a fearful secret did this act of mine 

 reveal. The timid, humble, irresolute Gruel became at once a dif- 

 ferent being. His face was destitute of expression, except in the 

 eyes ; but these were terrific ! The revelation of them made him a 

 new man. They had a panther-like glare. Not an atom of white 

 was perceptible the brown-glittering orb occupied the entire space. 

 Gruel did well to wear blue spectacles the sleek rascal's eyes, if 

 exposed, would have been beacons instructing man to avoid him. 

 There was I cheek-by-jowl with him, wondering what the awful 

 scoundrel could have to say. 



I returned him the blue spectacles, for I was rather anxious that he 

 should cover up his eyes. He slily croaked, " won't you honour the 

 glasses with a trial, sir ?" I had actually forgotten to do so never 

 in my life had my presence of mind so completely deserted me. I 

 put the spectacles on, and looked at him. Whether the blue pebbles, 

 by distorting, libelled him, I know not ; but certain it is, that his face 

 seemed to be convulsed with laughter. I listened, but could not even 

 catch the sound of a cackle. Rapidly dashing the glasses from their 

 position, under the idea that I should detect him in the full fury of 

 his silent sardonic demoniac chuckle, I brought my eye with the 

 velocity of lightning to bear upon his features. They were motion- 

 less as marble. 



" You doubtless have something to communicate, Mr. Gruel," said 

 I, after a short pause. 



" Nothing of importance, perhaps/' said he : " still it's unpleasant." 



' What is unpleasant, Mr. Gruel ?" 



' Why, sir, to have people insinuate that we are connected with 

 swindlers and deserters." 



' Swindlers and deserters, Mr. Gruel ! what can you possibly mean?" 

 ' First came two persons, stating that a notorious gentleman had 

 been traced in a cab to this very door to-day." 



" What did they look like ?" 



" The youngest of them was about forty ; he stood as near as may 

 be five feet nine his complexion was light his eyes blueish his 

 hair reddish his expression good-humoured his trowsers black 

 his coat brown his right boot scotched in the form of a star, appa- 

 rently to ease a corn." 



I must do Gruel the justice of saying, that a more graphic descrip- 

 tion of Ruthven, the Bow-street officer, no human being could give. 



" The other, sir," continued Gruel, " was shorter, thicker, more 

 squabby, older, rather serious, in knee-breeches, brown worsted 

 stockings, blue coat with metal buttons, and woollen waistcoat of a 

 large but sober pattern : his hair stiff and grizly his language sen- 

 tentious his air dogmatically dignified but far from offensive a 

 very nice sort of business-like burly old gentleman. I think he must 

 have been a respectable Jew." 



This was evidently Salmon, Ruthven's senior at the head police- 

 office, but I said nothing, and Gruel went on. " While they were 

 talking to me, in came a Serjeant of the 55th, with a cock and a 

 bull story about some deserter from his regiment, who squinted with 

 his left eye (I was weak enough to blush at this possessing as I 



