"Ay, is it thou?" said he, when he saw who held him, and I could swear there was some respect in his way of saying it. "I come to tell you that your barber hath left his shop in Fetter Lane," said I. He laughed aloud at that, high, and with a sort of scornful jollity, though his narrow eyes never left my face. "You are right, lad," he said heartily, "and I have sought him everywhere since." "Even upon London Bridge," said I, nodding. "Even there," replied the dark man. "I have myself some skill in that sort," I said, "so if the hour be not too late for shaving we will get to business straightway." "As you will," said he, indifferently. "But now, to leave this schoolboy humour a little, and seeing I have no quarrel with you nor yet know (as I told you before) your name even, were it not better you should state your grievance against me if you have one, as I suppose you deem yourself to stand upon some right in thus constraining me?" The while he was speaking thus and in such easy parlance as I had before noted was proper to him, my thoughts had returned to that girl's cry I had heard behind the grid, and looking about swiftly, I saw the gate itself now opened a small way, and the girl's form within the opening in a posture of infinite eagerness. So taken with this sight was I, that insensibly I slacked my hold of the man, who suddenly withdrew his arm and stood away jeering. "The door is open," I said, in a low voice, and putting my hand on my sword; "wherefore do you not enter?" "I will do so," said he, and before I could hinder him, he had swept me aside with a great buffet, and run forward to the gate. Cursing my lack of readiness to repel him, I drew at once and followed him, while the maid, who at his approach had fled backward, pushed to the door; yet not so quick--the hinges turning heavily--but he prevented her, thrusting in his arm betwixt the post and the door, and had gained his purpose easily, had not I sprung upon him from behind and so hindered him that his hand was caught and crushed, ere he could release himself. "I owe you small thanks for that, Mr. Denis," said he, gravely, when he had flung the door open and got his hand free; and by his disdain of continuing the pretence not to know my name, I saw we were come into the lists as open foes.