Now, little by little, I became conscious (how, I cannot define)
that I was the object of a close and persistent scrutiny--that I
was being watched and stared at by some one near by. Shifting my
eyes, therefore, from the mottled face at the coach window, I
cast them swiftly about until they presently met those of one of
the four outside passengers--a tall, roughly-clad man who leaned
far out from the coach roof, watching me intently; and his face
was thin, and very pale, and the eyes which stared into mine
glowed beneath a jagged prominence of brow.
At the time, though I wondered at the man's expression, and the
fixity of his gaze, I paid him no further heed, but turned my
attention back to Mottle-face, who had, by this time, bellowed
himself purple. Howbeit, in due time, the flask having been
replenished and handed to him, he dived back into the recesses
of the coach, jerked up the window, and vanished as suddenly as
he had appeared.
But now the four fresh horses were in and harnessed, capering and
dancing with an ostler at the head of each; the Driver tossed off
his glass of rum and water, cast an eye up at the clouds, remarked:
"Wind, by Gemini!" settled his feet against the dashboard, and
gathered up the reins. And now, too, the Guard appeared, wiping
his lips as he came, who also cast an eye up at the heavens,
remarked: "Dust, by Jingo!" and swung himself up into the rumble.
"All right behind?" sang out the Driver, over his shoulder.
"All right!" sang back the guard.
"Then--let 'em go!" cried the Driver. Whereupon the ostlers
jumped nimbly back, the horses threw up their heads, and danced
undecidedly for a moment, the long whip cracked, hoofs clattered,
sparks flew, and, rumbling and creaking, off went the London Mail
with such a flourish of the horn as woke many a sleepy echo, near
and far. As I turned away, I noticed that there remained but
three outside passengers; the pale-faced man had evidently
alighted, yet, although I glanced round for him, he was nowhere
to be seen.
Hereupon, being in no mind to undergo the operation of having my
eye filled up, and, moreover, finding myself thirsty, I stepped
into the "Tap." And there, sure enough, was the Outside Passenger
staring moodily out of the window, and with an untouched mug of
ale at his elbow. Opposite him sat an old man in a smock frock,
who leaned upon a holly-stick, talking to a very short, fat man
behind the bar, who took my twopence with a smile, smiled as he
drew my ale, and, smiling, watched me drink.