This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1888 edition. Excerpt: ...in a low voice. "'We're dead men, I think, Brittles.' I says," continued Giles; "'but don't be frightened.'" "Was he frightened?" asked the cook. "Not a bit of it," replied Mr. Giles. "He was a£ 5rm--ah! pretty near as firm as I was." "I should have died at once, I'm sure, if it had been me/ obsc-ved the housemaid. "You're a woman," retorted Brittles, plucking up a little. "Brittles is right," said Mr. Giles, nodding his head, approvingly; "from a woman, nothing else was to be expected. We, being men, took a dark lantern that was standing on Brittles's hob, and groped our way down stairs in die pitch dark,--as it might be so." Mr. Giles had risen from his seat, and taken two steps with his eyes shut, to accompany his description with appropriate action, when he started violently, in common with the rest of the company, and hurried back to his chair. The cook and housemaid screamed. "It was a knock," said Mr. Giles, assuming perfect serenity, "Open the door, somebody." Nobody moved. "It seems a strange sort of a thing, a knock coming at such a time in the morning," said Mr. Giles, surveying the pale faces which surrounded him, and looking very blank himself; "but the door must be opened. Do you hear, somebody?" Mr. Giles as he spoke, looked at Brittles; but that young man, being naturally modest, probably considered himself nobody, and so held that the inquiry could not have any application to him; at all events, he tendered no reply. Mr. Giles directed an appealing glance at the tinker; but he had suddenly fallen asleep. The women were out of the question. "If Brittles would rather open the door, in the presence of witnesses," said Mr. Giles, after a short silence, "1 am ready to make one." "So am I," said the tinker, waking up, as suddenly...
Le informazioni nella sezione "Riassunto" possono far riferimento a edizioni diverse di questo titolo.