Our Mutual Friend

ist crept along the banks of the river, seen through which the trees were the ghosts of trees, and the water was the ghost of water. This earth looked spectral, and so did

Headstone looked that way, when a chill air came up, and when it passed on murmuring, as if it whispered

the Lock-house door. It

of me?' he mut

roused, and soon undrew

ay! I a'most believed as you'd giv' me the slip, and I had as good a

s hint, that Riderhood deemed it exp

arter having amused myself with that there stretch of a comic idea, as a sort of a playful game? Why,

on opening the door, and he now looked at him again (stealthily this t

when his visitor sat down, resting his chin on his hand, with his eyes on the ground. And very remarkably again: Ri

I think,' said Bradley, wi

, governor,' assented Riderho

,' said Bradley; but withou

t in the clothes he wore. Mr Riderhood poetically remarking that he would pick the bones of his night's rest, in his wooden chair, sat in the window as before; but, as before, watched the sleepe

er. He's been hung on to, pretty tight, for his shirt's all tore out of the neck-gathers. He's been in

it; but the Lock-keeper hailed only this particular barge, for news, as if he had made a time calculation with so

that I swaller it,' said Riderhood, squinting at his Lock, when he saw Bradle

lever, and asked what o'clock it was? Rider

relieved?' a

to-morrow

soo

h sooner,

. Riderhood quite petted his reply; saying a second time, and prolon

was going on to-ni

manner, 'you did not tell me so. But most like you meant to it and forgot to

own, I intend to g

a Peck,' returned Riderhood. '

as the affair of a moment; it merely consisting in the handing down of a capacious baking dish with three-fourths of an

other before his guest. Upon these platters he placed two goodly portions of the contents of the pie, thus imparting the unusual interest to the entertainment that each partaker scooped out the inside of his plate, and consumed it with

kably awkward at these exercis

st!' he cried, 'you

unlucky, in asking Riderhood to tie it up, and in standing close to him for the purpose

put back into what remained of the pie, which served as an economical investment for all miscellaneous savings,

nt across the table to touch his arm. 'Th

t ne

tch of his head, as if he disdainfully jerked

od at guessi

! You had him the

aid not a single word, good or bad. He only smiled in a lowering manner, and got up and stood leaning at the window, looking through it. Riderhood followed him

t,' said the schoolmaster, 'that wi

aiting for it, and he remained upon the bed until the sun was low. When he arose and came out to res

hould have any further communication together,

again as the other set forth, and added under his breath, looking after him with a leer: 'You w

of an hour. Not staying to fill up the utmost margin of his time, but borrowing an hour or so, to be repaid

at he was close up with him-that is to say, as close up with him as he deemed it convenient to be-before another Lock was passed. His man looked back pretty often as he went, but got no hint of him. He kn

s, briars, and brambles, and encumbered with the scathed trunks of a whole hedgerow of felled trees, on the outskirts of a little wood-began stepping on these trun

e a little open with both hands. And soon his actions made a most extraordinary r

arranged to counterfeit accident. 'But you wouldn't have fetched a bundle under your arm, from among that timber, if such was your game!' said Riderhood. Nevertheless it was a relief

l a patch of the hedge that the sharpest eyes could not have detected him, Rogue Riderhood watched the bather dr

ed that night. I see. You're a taking me with

ooking all around him with great attention, he then went to the river's edge, and flung it in as far, and yet as lightly as he could. It was not un

asure in any case, and got him again in sight. 'If I was to let you loose this once,' said Riderhood then, still following, 'I could make you come to me agin, or I could find

. Riderhood was much in his thoughts-had never been out of his thoughts since the night-adventure of their first meeting; but Riderhood occupied a very different place there, from the place of pursuer; and Bradley had been at the pains of devising so many means of fitting that place to him, and of wedging him into it, that his m

the pursuing shadow of this torture may be traced through every lie they tell. If I had done it as alleged, is it conceivable that I would have made this and this mistake? If I had done it as alleged, should I have left that unguarded place which that false and wicked witness against me so infamously deposed to? The state of that wret

k of a river, was well enough, but he ought to have been instantly disabled, whereas he had turned and seized his assailant; and so, to end it before chance-help came, and to be rid of him, he had been hurriedly thrown backward into the river before the life was fully beaten out of him. Now if it could be done again, it

. As he paused with his piece of chalk at the black board before writing on it, he was thinking of the spot, and whether the water was not deeper and the fall straighter, a little higher up, or a little lower down. He had

alking in his garden observed from behind a blind by gentle little Miss Peecher, who contemplated offeri

Mary

u please, ma'am, comin

ood, Ma

Anne held

speak, Ma

and he has gone in himself without waiting for young Mr Hexam to

my heart,

ne's telegrap

ore, Ma

, Miss Peecher, for the parlour blind's

sad sigh which she repressed by laying her hand on her neat met

, stopped short when he saw his

, Hexam,

opped again, short of it. The heavy, bloodshot eyes of the schoolm

ne, what's

er? W

ews? This news about the fellow, Mr

then!' excl

ut the room, glanced at his former pupil, and looked down. 'I heard of the outrage,' s

Stop! I don't ask that. Don't tell me. If you force your confidence upon me, Mr Headstone, I'

this renunciation. A desolate air of utter and comp

going to put your selfishness before you, Mr Headstone-your passionate, violent, and ungov

olar to go on with a lesson that he knew by heart and wa

chambers in the Temple when I told him my opinion of him, and made myself responsible for my opinion of you. You know that I took you with me when I was watching him with a view to recovering my sister and bringing her to her senses; you know that I have allowe

opped, he turned his eyes towards him, as if he were waiting for him to go on with th

aster, I was a good pupil. I have done you plenty of credit, and in improving my own reputation I have improved yours quite as much. Very well then. Starting on equal terms, I want to put before you how you have shown your gratitude to me, for doing all I could to further your wishes with reference to my sis

again, he moved

ave had many disadvantages to leave behind me in life. You have heard me mention my father, and you are sufficiently acquainted with the fact that the home from which I, as I may say, esca

heek, as if there were no softening old time behind him. Not wonderful, for there was n

f our being as respectable as I tried for. You fell in love with her, and I favoured you with all my might. She could not be induced to favour you, and so we came into collision with this Mr Eugene Wrayburn. Now, what have you done? Why, you have justified my sister i

up and held his position, could have been

else through no fault of mine! Not content with doing what I have put before you, you will drag my name into notoriety through dragging my sister's-which you are pretty sure t

eaved a sob over his injuries, h

ig

say what you have got upon your conscience, for I don't know. Whatever lies upon it, I hope you will see the justice of keeping wide and clear of me, and will find a consolation in completely exonerating all but yourself. I hope, before many years are out, to succeed the master in my present school, and the mistress being a single woman, though some years older than I am, I might even marry

unication with a brighter and more apprehensive spirit than his own; perhaps a family resemblance of face and voice between the boy and his sister, smote him hard in the gloom of his fallen state. For whichsoever reason, or for

us evening, but the light was short, and he had fished unsuccessfully. He had fished again that d