at assuaged she permitted him to depart, and the negress
conducted him back through the garden, whence she presently showed him
through the gate whither he had entered and out into the street.

III. The Terrific Encounter with the One-eyed Little Gentleman in Black

Finding himself once more in the open street, Jonathan Rugg stood for a
while in the moonlight, endeavoring to compose his mind into somewhat
of that sobriety that was habitual with him; for, indeed, he was not a
little excited by the unexpected incidents that had just befallen him.
From this effort at composure he was aroused by observing that a little
gentleman clad all in black had stopped at a little distance away and
was looking very intently at him. In the brightness of the moonlight
our hero could see that the little gentleman possessed but a single
eye, and that he carried a gold-headed cane in his hand. He had hardly
time to observe these particulars, when the other approached him with
every appearance of politeness and cordiality.

"Sir," said he, "surely I am not mistaken in recognizing in you the
supercargo of the ship SUSANNA HAYES, which arrived this afternoon at
this port?"

"Indeed," said Jonathan, "thou art right, friend. That is my
occupation, and that is whence I came."

"To be sure!" said the little gentleman. "To be sure! To be sure!
The SUSANNA HAYES, with a cargo of Indian-corn meal, and from dear good
friend Jeremiah Doolittle, of Philadelphia. I know your good master
very well--very well indeed. And have you never heard him speak of his
friend Mr. Abner Greenway, of Kingston, Jamaica?"

"Why, no," replied Jonathan, "I have no such recollection of the name
nor do I know that any such name hath ever appeared upon our books."

"To be sure! To be sure!" repeated the little gentleman, briskly, and
with exceeding good-nature. "Indeed, my name is not likely to have
ever appeared upon his books, for I am not a business correspondent,
but one who, in times past, was his extremely intimate friend. There
is much I would like to ask about him, and, indeed, I was in hopes that
you would have been the bearer of a letter from him. But I have
lodgings at a little distance from here, so that if it is not
requesting too much of you maybe you will accompany me thither, so that
we may talk at our leisure. I would gladly accompany you to your ship
instead of urging you to come to my apartments, but I must tell you I
am posses