158 SOME GENTLEMAN^S AUTOBIOGllAl'H Y. 



did the peculiarity one, however, of very frequent occurrence, men- 

 tioned by the Serjeant of the 55th) of course/' continued Gruel, " I 

 threw back the imputations with indignant vehemence but the rascals 

 wont be satisfied, and I find from the potboy over the way, that all 

 three of them are watching our door, behind that red curtain there," 

 and he pointed as he spoke at the parlour window of the Bunch of 

 Grapes. " All this, of course, is very unpleasant." 



" Very how would you act?" 



" With all possible deference, sir, I should slip out of the back 

 door, bolt through the mews, and be off." 



" Me ! I ! What do you mean ?" 



" It is evident, Mr. Garnet" and he gave out the appellation with 

 significant emphasis, " it is quite evident that you possess a fac simile 

 resemblance to some scoundrel. The consequences may be awful. I 

 therefore take leave to suggest that you should retire until the storm 

 blows over. Good heavens, sir ! if you should be incarcerated even 

 by a misapprehension as to identity how lamentable how destruc- 

 tive would be the consequences !" 



" What money have you about you, Mr. Gruel ?" 



" About half-a-crown but there is ten and sixpence in my desk 

 shall I fetch it ?" 



" Do." 



" But in that coat may I submit to you the propriety of an ex- 

 change ?" Without saying another word we mutually stripped, and 

 in a few moments I was attired in his old, napless, moth-eaten, 

 rhubarb-coloured office surtout. He went below to get me the ten 

 and sixpence ; and during his absence I glode into the bed-room for 

 the purpose of taking my leave of the lovely Maria. She was fast 

 asleep. I had not the heart to awake her. Kissing her beautiful 

 brow, I took her jewelled hand that is usually jewelled, but it so 

 occurred that she had taken off every ring. I found out the other 

 where it was nestling in her bosom blue circles, three or four deep, 

 were worn into the surface of her lily skin on the lower joint of 

 every finger, but not a ring was present except that which had made 

 her Garnet's bride. I tried to draw it off, to cherish as a keepsake, 

 but it was imbedded in the beautiful flesh. Her jewel-case was no- 

 where to be seen in her reticule there was a Scotch cambric hand- 

 kerchief, an old empty purse, and two peppermint lozenges. The 

 drawers were all locked, and for the soul of me I could not find the 

 keys. A suspicious half crown lay on the mantel-shelf this, in 

 despair of finding any other memento, I thrust into my pocket. 



" We shall meet again, Mr. Gruel," said I, as he put the change 

 into my hand ; " Maria has acted most ungenerously to put you in 

 possession of odd circumstances which could have come to her know- 

 ledge only in perfect confidence. You have done this very well, I 

 confess ; the manoeuvre leaves me no time to think but we shall 

 meet again, Mr. Gruel. I am not wholly " 



te Hush ! was that a knock ?" 



He moved towards the front door ; and thinking it useless to waste 

 more words with him, I stepped out at once decidedly a most in- 

 jured man ! Maria had ill-used me, and I do think I should have 

 exposed the whole fraud, had it been practicable. But such asper- 



