Almost to my surprise, the taller of the two crossed the room,
followed by his friend, to whom he still spoke in lowered tones,
stooped, picked up my hat, and, while the other stood scowling,
approached, and handed it to me with a bow.
"That my friend, Sir Harry Mortimer, lost his temper, is regretted
both by him and myself," said he, "but is readily explained by the
fact that he has been a long time from London, while I labored
under a--a disadvantage, sir--until your hat was off."
Now, as he spoke, his left eyelid flickered twice in rapid
succession.
"I beg you won't mention it," said I, putting on my hat; "but,
sir, why do you wink at me?"
"No, no," cried he, laughing and shaking his head, "ha! ha!
--deyvilish good! By the way, they tell me George himself is
in these parts--incog. of course--"
"George?" said I, staring.
"Cursed rich, on my life and soul!" cried the tall gentleman,
shaking his head and laughing again. "Mum's the word, of course,
and I swear a shaven face becomes you most deyvilishly!"
"Perhaps you will be so obliging as to tell me what you mean?"
said I, frowning.
"Oh, by gad!" he cried, fairly hugging himself with delight.
"Oh, the devil! this is too rich--too infernally rich, on my life
and soul it is!"
Now all at once there recurred to me the memory of Tom Cragg,
the Pugilist; of how he too had winked at me, and of his
incomprehensible manner afterwards beneath the gibbet on River
Hill.
"Sir," said I, "do you happen to know a pugilist, Tom Cragg by name?"
"Tom Cragg! well, I should think so; who doesn't, sir?"
"Because," I went on, "he too seems to labor under the delusion
that he is acquainted with me, and--"
"Acquainted!" repeated the tall gentleman, "acquainted! Oh, gad!"
and immediately hugged himself in another ecstasy.
"If," said I, "you will have the goodness to tell me for
whom you evidently mistake me--"
"Mistake you!" he gasped, throwing himself upon the settle and
rocking to and fro, "ha! ha!--mistake you!"
Seeing I did but waste my breath, I turned upon my heel, and made
for the door. As I went, my eye, by chance, lighted upon a
cheese that stood at the fat landlord's elbow, and upon which he
cast amorous glances from time to time.