had no sooner pronounced these words than I heard the sound of the bells
at a distance; which the apparition, having listened to, tripped away,
and left me almost petrified with fear. It was a good while before I
could recover myself so far as to speak; and, when at length I turned to
Strap, I found him in a fit, which, however, did not last long. When
he came to himself, I asked his opinion of what had happened; and he
assured me that the first must certainly be the soul of some person
damned, which appeared by the chain about his legs (for his fears had
magnified the creature to the bigness of a horse, and the sound of small
morice-bells to the clanking of massy chains). As for the old man, he
took it to be the spirit of somebody murdered long ago in this place,
which had power granted to forment the assassin in the shape of a raven,
and that Ralpho was the name of the said murderer. Although I had not
much faith in this interpretation, I was too much troubled to enjoy any
sleep: and in all my future adventures never passed a night so ill.

In the morning Strap imparted the whole affair to Joey, who, after an
immoderate fit of laughter, explained the matter, by telling him that
the old man was the landlord's father, who had been an idiot some years,
and diverted himself with a tame raven, which, it seems, had hopped away
from his apartment in the night, and induced him to follow it to our
chamber, where he had inquired after it under the name of Ralpho.

Nothing remarkable happened during the remaining part of our journey,
which continued six or seven days longer: at length we entered the great
city, and lodged all night at the inn where the waggon put up. Next
morning all the passengers parted different ways, while my companion and
I sallied out to inquire for the member of parliament, to whom I had a
letter of recommendation from Mr. Crab. As we had discharged our lodging
at the inn, Strap took up our baggage and, marched behind me in the
street with the knapsack on his back, as usual, so that we made a very
whimsical appearance. I had dressed myself to the greatest advantage;
that is, put on a clean ruffled shirt, and my best thread stockings: my
hair (which was of the deepest red) hung down upon my shoulders, as lank
and straight as a pound of candles; and the skirts of my coat reached to
the middle of my leg; my waistcoat and breeches were of the same piece,
and cut in the same taste; and my hat very much resemble