The Midnight Queen - Page 121/177

"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--I do!" 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.