"No--not to be thought of--preposterous--" "So I ask you to honour me by accepting these nine pounds--" "I'll be shot if I do!" "They may help you to--" "To my drunken dissolution? Ridiculous! Nine pounds' worth would never do it, I'm so infernally healthy and strong! Nine accursed, miserable pounds--what use to a drinker such as I?" "Many, Anthony, and I think I can guess one of the first--" "And that?" "To procure yourself a shave!" "Egad!" cried he with a sudden, merry look, "I believe you're in the right of it! A stubbly chin makes a man feel such a pernicious, scoundrelly, hangdog walking misery." "Precisely!" said I, holding out the nine pounds. "So take your money, Anthony." "Positively no!" said he, scowling down at the coins. "I thieve occasionally, but I don't beg--yet, and be damned t' you!" And thrusting hands into pockets, he went on again. So I put up the money and we walked on, but in silence now, while the shadows deepened about us. And thus we went for a great while until with every stride this silence became painfully irksome--at least, to me. All at once his arm was about my shoulders, a long, nervous arm drawing me to him, then he had freed me and we stood facing each other in the gathering dusk. "Perry!" said he, in strange, shaken voice. "Dear fellow, will you forgive a graceless dog? You meant kindly, but I couldn't--I should despise myself more than I do--so--Oh, curse and confound it--what about it?" For answer I reached out and took his hand; so we stood for a long moment speaking never a word. And presently we went on down the darkling road together. CHAPTER VI DESCRIBES CERTAIN LIVELY HAPPENINGS AT THE "JOLLY WAGGONER" INN We had gone thus no great distance when we heard a sound of hoofs and wheels and perceived an open travelling chaise coming up behind us. The lane was narrow and rutted and thus the vehicle was progressing at an inconsiderable pace, and as it passed us where we stood in the hedge, I saw it contained a man and a woman. This man was richly dressed, and handsome in a big, plethoric fashion, but beholding his face, the small eyes, heavy jowls and fleshy nose, I took an instant aversion to him. "Did you notice that fellow?" I enquired, brushing the dust from me. "Did you see--her?" exclaimed Anthony. "A fleshly brute if ever there was one!" said I. "Such glorious eyes and hair--a sweet angelic creature, Perry. Her eyes seemed so big and appealing. Oh, curse it, why must women have such eyes. Damn everything!" "It will be a beautiful night!" said I, staring up at the purple vault where stars began to wink. "She looked--miserable--almost like one afraid." "I wonder where we shall sleep, Anthony?" "Oh, anywhere, in some barn, under a hedge, in a rick--what matter? Why should she look afraid, I wonder?"