I answered thus designedly, for I had seen him walking arm and arm with the colonel, time and again, but I was afraid to let the colonel know that I had even a moderate share of sagacity.

“Green, how often have you seen him,” continued the colonel, “and where, since you have been in the city?  You know his son said, he had returned home, a few days since, when you carried him the letter.”

I told him I had not seen him before, since I came to the city.

“Are you certain of that?”

“I am confident I have not seen him.”

“You are mistaken,” said he, “you met him yesterday.”

I knew what he meant, but dared not let him know that I had recognised him.  Again he interrogated me: 

“Do you not recollect him?” at the same time eyeing me with an intensity of expression.  I replied that I was certain I had not seen him.

“You are mistaken,” said the colonel.  “You met him here yesterday.  He was the man that remained after the doctor had left.”

“It cannot be,” I rejoined.  “You must be mistaken, as I was certain that man had light hair, nearly red.”

“It was him, Green,” said he.  “He had a wig on, but for your life mention not a syllable of this to your best friend.  He is a villain of the deepest dye, and I know him to be such.”

I, of course, agreed that I might have been mistaken.

“He knew you,” continued the colonel, “and was the worst frightened man I ever saw, for fear you would recognise him.  I am glad you did not, for it might have cost you your life.”

“I suppose, then, colonel,” said I, “he intends furnishing you with bail, does he not?”

“He did not manifest such a determination, did he, when you met him?”

I replied:  “He might have had his reasons for acting as he did; it may be, it was to find out whether I knew him as the person I met here yesterday.  You say, colonel, then, I actually met him yesterday?”

“Yes, he is the very villain.  I know enough about him to make him stretch hemp, if he had his dues.”

I told him he was esteemed by many, where he lived, to be a very good man.

“Yes, they respect him for his riches,” said the colonel; “but they would not respect either him, or many of his neighbours, if all knew them as well as I do.”

After this, he proceeded to give me the promised advice, and addressed me thus: 

“Green, I believe you are a good boy, but have been imposed on by the world.  I am about to give you some advice.  I feel it right I should do so.  I am in bad health, and can never recover, and my only object in procuring bail was to secure a decent burial, but I have no hope.  Green, I tell you this, that you may know the condition in which you are placed.  You are surrounded by a set of devils incarnate, and you know them not.  You are just entering upon a life of misery and crime.  You can now see, to a limited extent, what has caused me to lead a wretched and abandoned life.  As soon as you can, leave this place.  You know not your danger.  You have about you some desperate enemies.  I have told the most inveterate of them, that they were mistaken as to your character.”