Christmas Penny Readings: Original Sketches for the SeasonFenn, George Manville
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Christmas Penny Readings: Original Sketches for the Season
Fenn, George Manville
Christmas stories; Fiction; Poetry; Short stories
As I told you, in places I went along as quiet as a mouse, when I
suppose it was about one o'clock that, in the middle of one street, I
came all at once upon a tall, well-dressed young fellow inside some area
railings, same as you may have seen, sometimes, where, beside the rails,
the top of the area is all covered with iron bars, which make it like
the top of a cage; while, as a matter of course, you can walk up to the
dining-room windows.
Well, that's what this young fellow had done; and, as I went quietly up,
there he was, close up, resting one foot on a ledge of the stucco, while
one hand was on the sill of the open parlour window.
"Hallo!" I said quietly, for I had taken my gentleman quite by
surprise; and I felt very good-tempered and comfortable from the effects
of those two glasses of sunshine; so "Hallo!" I said, "what is it?"
knowing all the while that I must have my gentleman, for he was
regularly caged, and looking at me through the bars.
"Hush!" he said, not in the least taken aback; "Hush! hold your tongue:
there's a lady in the case. Here, catch hold, and be off, there's a
good fellow;" and then he gave me half-a-crown.
Now, seeing that it was light enough for me to make out that he was a
well-dressed, smart-looking young chap, I took the half-crown, and as it
didn't seem to be part of my work to interfere with a bit of billing and
cooing, I went on, leaving my friend whispering to some one inside.
"All right, my fine fellow," I said to myself, turning it over in my
mind; "All right, but I don't mean to be done if there's anything else
on the way." So I went slowly on, and turned the corner; and then,
knowing that my steps couldn't be heard, I slipped into a doorway, and
made myself as small as I could.
Well, I hadn't been there a minute before I fancied I heard a sound like
somebody sneezing, and trying to smother it down; and then my heart beat
a little heavier, for I knew there was something more than a lady in the
case; while, as I stood squeezed up there, I could make out my friend
coming along by the shadow sent forward by the gas-lamp just round the
corner. At last, very slowly he peeped round to look along the street
where I was, but he could make nothing out, for I kept very snug in my
doorway; though, if he had only come down half-a-dozen yards, he must
have seen me, for there was a light burning over the door.
But the very openness of the place concealed me, and I breathed easier
again as I made out by the shadow that he was going back.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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