me that I was passing, or, rather, turning round one of the elbows of
this descent, a sturdy fellow, with a heavy cudgel, followed at some
distance by a much smaller man, accosted me in a rude tone of voice, by
bawling out:

"I say, you sir, what's o'clock?"

"Go about your business, and let me pass."

"Take that for your civility!" and, with a severe blow with his stick,
he laid me prostrate. I was not stunned, but I felt very sick, and
altogether incapable of rising. In this state I determined to feign
stupefaction, so I nearly closed my eyes, and lay perfectly still. The
huge vagabond then placed his knee upon my chest, and called out to his
companion:

"I say, Mister, come and see if this here chap's the right un."

The person called to, came up; and, immediately after, through my
eyelashes, I beheld the diabolical white face of Daunton. It was so
dark, that, to recognise me, he was obliged to place his countenance so
close to mine that his hot breath burned against my cheek. He was in a
passion of terror, and trembled as if in an access of ague.

"It is," said he, whilst his teeth chattered. "Is he stunned?"

"Mister, now I take that as an insult. D'ye think that John Gowles need
strike such a strip of a thing as that ere twice?"

"Hush!--How very, very cold it is! Where is your knife? Will you do
it?"

"Most sartainly not. There--he's at your mercy--I never committed
murder yet--no, no, must think of my precious soul. A bargain's a
bargain--my part on't is done."

"Gowles, don't talk so loud. I can't bear the sight of blood--and, oh
God!--of this blood--it would spurt upon my hand. Strike him again over
the head--he breathes heavily--strike him!"

"No," said the confederate, sullenly. "Tell ye--u'll have neither 'art
nor part in this 'ere murder."

During this very interesting conference, I was rallying all my energies
for one desperate effort, intending, however, to wait for the uplifted
knife, to grasp it, in order that I might turn the weapon against the
breast of one assassin, and then use it as a defence against the other.

"Would to God," said the villain, adding blasphemy to concerted
murder--"would to God that my hand was spared this task! Give me the
knife now. Where shall I strike him?--I have no strength to drive it
into him far."

"Tell ye, Mister, u'll have nought to do with the murder--but u'd advise
thee to bare his neck, and thrust in the point just under his right