He treated his associate with the most bitter contempt.

‘I doant fancy biding here with narra light!’ said the fellow.  ’There be a mort of ugly things here!’

’There’s nothing uglier than your own carcase.  Drink and get courage.  If your heart is cold with fear, warm it with brandy.’

So saying he took a deep draught himself and handed the bottle to his companion.

‘I hate the stuff!’ said he.  ’Bah! it’s poison—­but it rouses me.  Fire this infernal cave!  What’s that?’ A bat, disturbed by the smoke, flitted close before his face.  ’I have had nothing but evil omens to-day.  What is the day of the month?’

‘I heern lawyer say the 26th, yesterday.’

’The 27th of August, then.  By twelve o’clock to-night my time will be up—­then I shall be free to act.  If that old seaman should play me false now!  I promised him to wait three years, and I have kept my word!’ He was speaking more to himself than to his companion.  ’Three long years—­too long for vengeance for wrongs like mine to wait.  But that he swore, I should tame his pride—­but that he spoke of hurling him from his high estate, ere this I would have had the heart’s blood of that proud man.  But to-night I shall be free, and then—­’

He took from his vest a miniature, and gazed upon it long and earnestly.  Gradually his features softened, and burying his face in his hands, he wept.  There was yet one green spot in the desert of his heart—­love for the fair girl he had been betrothed to.  Reader, it was a terrible thing to see that man weep—­it would have made your heart sicken and your blood boil, while every scalding tear that fell would cry aloud in your thoughts, ‘Vengeance, vengeance!’

A strange proceeding now took place.  Curly Tom took from his pocket a small phial, and previously filling his own cup with brandy, poured the contents into the bottle.  He watched his companion intently during this process, but his terrible emotion too completely mastered him for the moment.  It was but momentary.  He arose and commenced to pace the floor again.  ’My Mary! you too sacrificed!  O, fiend! fiend!  But my vengeance shall be terrible!  To-night I shall be free from my oath!’ He walked up to the table and drank.  Curly Tom watched him intently as he resumed his unsteady walk.

’He little dreams that I can enter his very chamber at any hour.  Oh! coward, fool, dolt, that I have been, to delay my just revenge on the word of that old pirate.  I believe him,—­some paid minion of this proud man; for he has them in every guise, perhaps the very appointment made three years ago in the West Indies, was a trap, perhaps,—­even this clod is a spy and accomplice;’ he took a pistol from an inner pocket and cocking it, pressed it to the ear of his companion.  ‘Tom,’ said he, ’if I thought you would betray me.’  The ruffian possessed that brute indifference to danger too often mistaken for true courage,—­he did not tremble, though a slight paleness was visible on his repulsive countenance as he felt the touch of the iron barrel.  ’Whoy!  Measter Horace,’ said he, ’didn’t you save moy old mawther from being drowned by the boys vor a witch, noa, noa,—­I be true, and hate yearl and lawyer, and all the great volk.’