"Hey?" he inquired, helplessly."What was you a saying of, gentlemen? What is it?""We weren't a saying of anything as yet " returned Hubert; "but we mean to, shortly.Are you quite sure you are wide awake?""What do you want?" was the cross question, given by way of answer."What do you come bothering me for at such a rate, all night, I want to know?""Keep civil, friend, we wear swords," said Hubert, touching, with dignity, the hilt of the little dagger he carried; "we only want to ask you a few questions.First, do you see that house over yonder?""Oh! I see it!" said the man gruffly; "I am not blind!""Well who was the last person you saw come out of that house?""I don't know who they was!" still more gruffly."I ain't got the pleasure of their acquaintance!""Did you see a young lady come out of it lately?""Did I see a young lady?" burst out the watchman, in a high key of aggrieved expostulation."How many more times this blessed night am I to be asked about that young lady.First and foremost, there comes two young men, which this here is one of them, and they bring out the young lady and have her hauled away in the dead-cart; then comes along another and wants to know all the particulars, and by the time he gets properly away, somebody else comes and brings her back like a drowned rat.Then all sorts of people goes in and out, and I get tired looking at them, and then fall asleep, and before I've been in that condition about a minute, you two come punching me and waken me up to ask questions about her! I wish that young lady was in Jerico - Ido!" said the watchman, with a smothered growl.
"Come, come, my man!" said Hubert, slapping him soothingly on the shoulder."Don't be savage, if you can help it! This gentleman has a gold coin in some of his pockets, I believe, and it will fall to you if you keep quiet and answer decently.Tell me how many have been in that house since the young lady was brought back like a drowned rat?""How many?" said the man, meditating, with his eyes fixed on Sir Norman's garments, and he, perceiving that, immediately gave him the promised coin to refresh his memory, which it did with amazing quickness."How many - oh - let me see; there was the young man that brought her in, and left her there, and came out again, and went away.By-and-by, he came back with another, which I think this as gave me the money is him.After a little, they came out, first the other one, then this one, and went off;and the next that went in was a tall woman in black, with a mask on, and right behind her there came two men; the woman in the mask came out after a while; and about ten minutes after, the two men followed, and one of them carried something in his arms, that didn't look unlike a lady with her head in a shawl.Anything wrong, sir?" as Sir Norman gave a violent start and caught Hubert by the arm.
