He leaned forward, looked me nearly in the face, and reached out one hand to the bell-rope.  ‘See here, my fine fellow!’ said he.  ’Do you see that bell-rope?  Let me tell you, there’s a boy waiting below:  one jingle, and he goes to fetch the constable.’

‘Do you tell me so?’ said I.  ’Well, there’s no accounting for tastes!  I have a prejudice against the society of constables, but if it is your fancy to have one in for the dessert—­’ I shrugged my shoulders lightly.  ‘Really, you know,’ I added, ’this is vastly entertaining.  I assure you, I am looking on, with all the interest of a man of the world, at the development of your highly original character.’

He continued to study my face without speech, his hand still on the button of the bell-rope, his eyes in mine; this was the decisive heat.  My face seemed to myself to dislimn under his gaze, my expression to change, the smile (with which I had began) to degenerate into the grin of the man upon the rack.  I was besides harassed with doubts.  An innocent man, I argued, would have resented the fellow’s impudence an hour ago; and by my continued endurance of the ordeal, I was simply signing and sealing my confession; in short, I had reached the end of my powers.

’Have you any objection to my putting my hands in my breeches pockets?’ I inquired.  ’Excuse me mentioning it, but you showed yourself so extremely nervous a moment back.’  My voice was not all I could have wished, but it sufficed.  I could hear it tremble, but the landlord apparently could not.  He turned away and drew a long breath, and you may be sure I was quick to follow his example.

‘You’re a cool hand at least, and that’s the sort I like,’ said he.  ’Be you what you please, I’ll deal square.  I’ll take the chaise for a hundred pound down, and throw the dinner in.’

‘I beg your pardon,’ I cried, wholly mystified by this form of words.

‘You pay me a hundred down,’ he repeated, ’and I’ll take the chaise.  It’s very little more than it cost,’ he added, with a grin, ‘and you know you must get it off your hands somehow.’

I do not know when I have been better entertained than by this impudent proposal.  It was broadly funny, and I suppose the least tempting offer in the world.  For all that, it came very welcome, for it gave me the occasion to laugh.  This I did with the most complete abandonment, till the tears ran down my cheeks; and ever and again, as the fit abated, I would get another view of the landlord’s face, and go off into another paroxysm.

‘You droll creature, you will be the death of me yet!’ I cried, drying my eyes.

My friend was now wholly disconcerted; he knew not where to look, nor yet what to say; and began for the first time to conceive it possible he was mistaken.

‘You seem rather to enjoy a laugh, sir,’ said he.

‘O, yes!  I am quite an original,’ I replied, and laughed again.