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words； the landlord turned towards the door； and laughed to himself
softly； in high satisfaction at his own sharpness。
Startled and shocked as he was； Arthur had by this time
sufficiently recovered himself to feel indignant at the trick that
had been played on him； and at the insolent manner in which the
landlord exulted in it。
'Don't laugh；' he said sharply； 'till you are quite sure you have
got the laugh against me。 You shan't have the five shillings for
nothing； my man。 I'll keep the bed。'
'Will you？' said the landlord。 'Then I wish you a goodnight's
rest。' With that brief farewell； he went out； and shut the door
after him。
A good night's rest！ The words had hardly been spoken； the door
had hardly been closed； before Arthur half…repented the hasty words
that had just escaped him。 Though not naturally over…sensitive；
and not wanting in courage of the moral as well as the physical
sort； the presence of the dead man had an instantaneously chilling
effect on his mind when he found himself alone in the room … alone；
and bound by his own rash words to stay there till the next
morning。 An older man would have thought nothing of those words；
and would have acted； without reference to them； as his calmer
sense suggested。 But Arthur was too young to treat the ridicule；
even of his inferiors； with contempt … too young not to fear the
momentary humiliation of falsifying his own foolish boast； more
than he feared the trial of watching out the long night in the same
chamber with the dead。
'It is but a few hours；' he thought to himself； 'and I can get away
the first thing in the morning。'
He was looking towards the occupied bed as that idea passed through
his mind； and the sharp； angular eminence made in the clothes by
the dead man's upturned feet again caught his eye。 He advanced and
drew the curtains； purposely abstaining； as he did so； from looking
at the face of the corpse； lest he might unnerve himself at the
outset by fastening some ghastly impression of it on his mind。 He
drew the curtain very gently； and sighed involuntarily as he closed
it。 'Poor fellow；' he said； almost as sadly as if he had known the
man。 'Ah； poor fellow！'
He went next to the window。 The night was black； and he could see
nothing from it。 The rain still pattered heavily against the
glass。 He inferred； from hearing it； that the window was at the
back of the house； remembering that the front was sheltered from
the weather by the court and the buildings over it。
While he was still standing at the window … for even the dreary
rain was a relief； because of the sound it made； a relief； also；
because it moved； and had some faint suggestion； in consequence； of
life and companionship in it … while he was standing at the window；
and looking vacantly into the black darkness outside； he heard a
distant church…clock strike ten。 Only ten！ How was he to pass the
time till the house was astir the next morning？
Under any other circumstances； he would have gone down to the
public…house parlour； would have called for his grog； and would
have laughed and talked with the company assembled as familiarly as
if he had known them all his life。 But the very thought of whiling
away the time in this manner was distasteful to him。 The new
situation in which he was placed seemed to have altered him to
himself already。 Thus far； his life had been the common； trifling；
prosaic； surface…life of a prosperous young man； with no troubles
to conquer； and no trials to face。 He had lost no relation whom he
loved； no friend whom he treasured。 Till this night； what share he
had of the immortal inheritance that is divided amongst us all； had
laid dormant within him。 Till this night； Death and he had not
once met； even in thought。
He took a few turns up and down the room … then stopped。 The noise
made by his boots on the poorly carpeted floor； jarred on his ear。
He hesitated a little； and ended by taking the boots off； and
walking backwards and forwards noiselessly。 All desire to sleep or
to rest had left him。 The bare thought of lying down on the
unoccupied bed instantly drew the picture on his mind of a dreadful
mimicry of the position of the dead man。 Who was he？ What was the
story of his past life？ Poor he must have been； or he would not
have stopped at such a place as The Two Robins Inn … and weakened；
probably； by long illness； or he could hardly have died in the
manner in which the landlord had described。 Poor； ill； lonely； …
dead in a strange place； dead； with nobody but a stranger to pity
him。 A sad story： truly； on the mere face of it； a very sad
story。
While these thoughts were passing through his mind； he had stopped
insensibly at the window； close to which stood the foot of the bed
with the closed curtains。 At first he looked at it absently； then
he became conscious that his eyes were fixed on it； and then； a
perverse desire took possession of him to do the very thing which
he had resolved not to do； up to this time … to look at the dead
man。
He stretched out his hand towards the curtains； but checked himself
in the very act of undrawing them； turned his back sharply on the
bed； and walked towards the chimney…piece； to see what things were
placed on it； and to try if he could keep the dead man out of his
mind in that way。
There was a pewter inkstand on the chimney…piece； with some
mildewed remains of ink in the bottle。 There were two coarse china
ornaments of the commonest kind； and there was a square of embossed
card； dirty and fly…blown； with a collection of wretched riddles
printed on it； in all sorts of zig…zag directions； and in variously
coloured inks。 He took the card； and went away； to read it； to the
table on which the candle was placed； sitting down； with his back
resolutely turned to the curtained bed。
He read the first riddle； the second； the third； all in one corner
of the card … then turned it round impatiently to look at another。
Before he could begin reading the riddles printed here； the sound
of the church…clock stopped him。 Eleven。 He had got through an
hour of the time； in the room with the dead man。
Once more he looked at the card。 It was not easy to make out the
letters printed on it； in consequence of the dimness of the light
which the landlord had left him … a common tallow candle； furnished
with a pair of heavy old…fashioned steel snuffers。 Up to this
time； his mind had been too much occupied to think of the light。
He had left the wick of the candle unsnuffed； till it had risen
higher than the flame； and had burnt into an odd pent…house shape
at the top； from which morsels of the charred cotton fell off； from
time to time； in little flakes。 He took up the snuffers now； and
trimmed the wick。 The light brightened directly； and the room
became less dismal。
Again he turned to the riddles； reading them doggedly and
resolutely； now in one corner of the card； now in another。 All his
efforts； however； could not fix his attention on them。 He pursued
his occupation mechanically； deriving no sort of impression from
what he was reading。 It was as if a shadow from the curtained bed
had got between his mind and the gaily printed letters … a shadow
that nothing could dispel。 At last； he gave up the struggle； and
threw the card from him impatiently； and took to walking softly up
and down the room again。
The dead man； the dead man； the HIDDEN dead man on the bed！ There
was the one persistent idea still haunting him。 Hidden？ Was it
only the body being there； or was it the body being there；
concealed； that was preying on his mind？ He stopped at the window；
with that doubt in him； once more listening to the pattering rain；
once more looking out into the black darkness。
Still the dead man！ The darkness forced his mind back upon itself；
and set his memory at work； reviving； with a painfully…vivid
distinctness the momentary impression it had received from the
first sight of the corpse。 Before long the face seemed to be
hovering out in the middle of the darkness； confronting him through
the window； with the paleness whiter； with the dreadful dull line
of light between the imperfectly…closed eyelids broader than he had
seen it … with the parted lips slowly dropping farther and farther
away from each other … with the features growing larger and moving
closer； till they seemed to fill the window and to silence the
rain； and to shut out the night。
The sound of a voice； shouting below…stairs； woke him suddenly from
the dream of his own distempered fancy。 He recognised it as the
voice of the landlord。 'Shut up at twelve； Ben；' he heard it say。
'I'm off to bed。'
He wiped away the damp that had gathered on his forehead； reasoned
with himself for a little while； and resolved to shake his mind
free of the ghastly counterfeit which still clung to it； by forci