But the host withdrawing—probably to weep
in secret—soon returned with the information
that it wanted little more than an hour of day, and
that all the cocks in Barbican had already begun to
crow, as if their lives depended on it. At this
intelligence, the ’Prentice Knights arose in
haste, and marshalling into a line, filed off one by
one and dispersed with all speed to their several
homes, leaving their leader to pass the grating last.
‘Good night, noble captain,’ whispered
the blind man as he held it open for his passage out;
’Farewell, brave general. Bye, bye, illustrious
commander. Good luck go with you for a—conceited,
bragging, empty-headed, duck-legged idiot.’
With which parting words, coolly added as he listened
to his receding footsteps and locked the grate upon
himself, he descended the steps, and lighting the
fire below the little copper, prepared, without any
assistance, for his daily occupation; which was to
retail at the area-head above pennyworths of broth
and soup, and savoury puddings, compounded of such
scraps as were to be bought in the heap for the least
money at Fleet Market in the evening time; and for
the sale of which he had need to have depended chiefly
on his private connection, for the court had no thoroughfare,
and was not that kind of place in which many people
were likely to take the air, or to frequent as an agreeable
promenade.
Chronicler’s are privileged to enter where they
list, to come and go through keyholes, to ride upon
the wind, to overcome, in their soarings up and down,
all obstacles of distance, time, and place. Thrice
blessed be this last consideration, since it enables
us to follow the disdainful Miggs even into the sanctity
of her chamber, and to hold her in sweet companionship
through the dreary watches of the night!
Miss Miggs, having undone her mistress, as she phrased
it (which means, assisted to undress her), and having
seen her comfortably to bed in the back room on the
first floor, withdrew to her own apartment, in the
attic story. Notwithstanding her declaration in
the locksmith’s presence, she was in no mood
for sleep; so, putting her light upon the table and
withdrawing the little window curtain, she gazed out
pensively at the wild night sky.
Perhaps she wondered what star was destined for her
habitation when she had run her little course below;
perhaps speculated which of those glimmering spheres
might be the natal orb of Mr Tappertit; perhaps marvelled
how they could gaze down on that perfidious creature,
man, and not sicken and turn green as chemists’
lamps; perhaps thought of nothing in particular.
Whatever she thought about, there she sat, until her
attention, alive to anything connected with the insinuating
’prentice, was attracted by a noise in the next
room to her own—his room; the room in which
he slept, and dreamed—it might be, sometimes
dreamed of her.
