′Is he a gentleman? I mean, is he a quiet, well-behaved person?′
′The quietest man I ever came across,′ said the landlord, rubbing his fat hands stealthily one over the other. ′As sober as a judge, and as regular as clock-work in his habits. It hasn′t struck nine, not ten minutes ago, and he′s in his bed already. I don′t know whether that comes up to your notion of a quiet man: it goes a long way ahead of mine, I can tell you.′
′Is he asleep, do you think?′ asked Arthur.
′I know he′s asleep,′ returned the landlord. ′And what′s more, he′s gone off so fast, that I′ll warrant you don′t wake him. This way, sir,′ said the landlord, speaking over young Holliday′s shoulder, as if he was addressing some new guest who was approaching the house.
′Here you are,′ said Arthur, determined to be beforehand with the stranger, whoever he might be. ′I′ll take the bed.′ And he handed the five shillings to the landlord, who nodded, dropped the money carelessly into his waistcoat-pocket, and lighted the candle.
′Come up and see the room,′ said the host of The Two Robins, leading the way to the staircase quite briskly, considering how fat he was.
They mounted to the second-floor of the house. The landlord half opened a door, fronting the landing, then stopped, and turned round to Arthur.
′It′s a fair bargain, mind, on my side as well as on yours,′ he said. ′You give me five shillings, I give you in return a clean, comfortable bed; and I warrant, beforehand, that you won′t be interfered with, or annoyed in any way, by the man who sleeps in the same room as you.′ Saying those words, he looked hard, for a moment, in young Holliday′s face, and then led the way into the room.
It was larger and cleaner than Arthur had expected it would be. The two beds stood parallel with each other—a space of about six feet intervening between them. They were both of the same medium size, and both had the same plain white curtains, made to draw, if necessary, all round them. The occupied bed was the bed nearest the window. The curtains were all drawn round this, except the half curtain at the bottom, on the side of the bed farthest from the window. Arthur saw the feet of the sleeping man raising the scanty clothes into a sharp little eminence, as if he was lying flat on his back. He took the candle, and advanced softly to draw the curtain—stopped half-way, and listened for a moment—then turned to the landlord.
′He′s a very quiet sleeper,′ said Arthur.
′Yes,′ said the landlord, ′very quiet.′
Young Holliday advanced with the candle, and looked in at the man cautiously.
′How pale he is!′ said Arthur.
′Yes,′ returned the landlord, ′pale enough, isn′t he?′
Arthur looked closer at the man. The bedclothes were drawn up to his chin, and they lay perfectly still over the region of his chest. Surprised and vaguely startled, as he noticed this, Arthur stooped down closer over the stranger; looked at his ashy, parted lips; listened breathlessly for an instant; looked again at the strangely still face, and the motionless lips and chest; and turned round suddenly on the landlord, with his own cheeks as pale for the moment as the hollow cheeks of the man on the bed.
′Come here,′ he whispered, under his breath. ′Come here, for God′s sake! The man′s not asleep—he is dead!′
′You have found that out sooner than I thought you would,′ said the landlord, composedly. ′Yes, he′s dead, sure enough. He died at five o′clock to-day.
© e-libr.com
feedback