The shop was shut. Both door and shutters were of a strong andsturdy kind, and they knocked without effect. But the impatientcrowd raising a cry of "Set fire to the house!" and torches beingpassed to the front, an upper window was thrown open, and the stoutold locksmith stood before them.
"What now, you villains!" he demanded. "Where is my daughter?"
"Ask no questions of us, old man," retorted Hugh, waving hiscomrades to be silent, "but come down, and bring the tools of yourtrade. We want you."
"Want me!" cried the locksmith, glancing at the regimental dress hewore: "Ay, and if some that I could name possessed the hearts ofmice, ye should have had me long ago. Mark me, my lad--and youabout him do the same. There are a score among ye whom I see nowand know, who are dead men from this hour. Begone! and rob an undertaker"s while you can! You"ll want some coffins before long."
"Will you come down?" cried Hugh.
"Will you give me my daughter, ruffian?" cried the locksmith.
"I know nothing of her," Hugh rejoined. "Burn the door!"
"Stop!" cried the locksmith, in a voice that made them falter-presenting,as he spoke, a gun. "Let an old man do that. You canspare him better."
The young fellow who held the light, and who was stooping downbefore the door, rose hastily at these words, and fell back. Thelocksmith ran his eye along the upturned faces, and kept the weaponlevelled at the threshold of his house. It had no other rest thanhis shoulder, but was as steady as the house itself.
"Let the man who does it, take heed to his prayers," he saidfirmly; "I warn him."
Snatching a torch from one who stood near him, Hugh was steppingforward with an oath, when he was arrested by a shrill and piercing shriek, and, looking upward, saw a fluttering garment on the housetop.
There was another shriek, and another, and then a shrill voicecried, "Is Simmun below!" At the same moment a lean neck wasstretched over the parapet, and Miss Miggs, indistinctly seen inthe gathering gloom of evening, screeched in a frenzied manner,"Oh! dear gentlemen, let me hear Simmuns"s answer from his ownlips. Speak to me, Simmun. Speak to me!"
Mr Tappertit, who was not at all flattered by this compliment,looked up, and bidding her hold her peace, ordered her to come downand open the door, for they wanted her master, and would take nodenial.
"Oh good gentlemen!" cried Miss Miggs. "Oh my own precious,precious Simmun--"
"Hold your nonsense, will you!" retorted Mr Tappertit; "and comedown and open the door.--G. Varden, drop that gun, or it will beworse for you."
"Don"t mind his gun," screamed Miggs. "Simmun and gentlemen, I poured a mug of table-beer right down the barrel."
The crowd gave a loud shout, which was followed by a roar oflaughter.
"It wouldn"t go off, not if you was to load it up to the muzzle,"
screamed Miggs. "Simmun and gentlemen, I"m locked up in the frontattic, through the little door on the right hand when you thinkyou"ve got to the very top of the stairs--and up the flight ofcorner steps, being careful not to knock your heads against therafters, and not to tread on one side in case you should fall intothe two-pair bedroom through the lath and plasture, which do notbear, but the contrairy. Simmun and gentlemen, I"ve been locked uphere for safety, but my endeavours has always been, and always willbe, to be on the right side--the blessed side and to prenounce thePope of Babylon, and all her inward and her outward workings, whichis Pagin. My sentiments is of little consequences, I know," criedMiggs, with additional shrillness, "for my positions is but aservant, and as sich, of humilities, still I gives expressions tomy feelings, and places my reliances on them which entertains myown opinions!"
Without taking much notice of these outpourings of Miss Miggs after she had made her first announcement in relation to the gun, thecrowd raised a ladder against the window where the locksmith stood,and notwithstanding that he closed, and fastened, and defended itmanfully, soon forced an entrance by shivering the glass andbreaking in the frames. After dealing a few stout blows about him,he found himself defenceless, in the midst of a furious crowd,which overflowed the room and softened off in a confused heap offaces at the door and window.
They were very wrathful with him (for he had wounded two men), andeven called out to those in front, to bring him forth and hang himon a lamp-post. But Gabriel was quite undaunted, and looked fromHugh and Dennis, who held him by either arm, to Simon Tappertit,who confronted him.
"You have robbed me of my daughter," said the locksmith, "who isfar dearer to me than my life; and you may take my life, if youwill. I bless God that I have been enabled to keep my wife free ofthis scene; and that He has made me a man who will not ask mercy atsuch hands as yours."
"And a wery game old gentleman you are," said Mr Dennis,approvingly; "and you express yourself like a man. What"s the odds, brother, whether it"s a lamp-post to-night, or a featherbedten year to come, eh?"
The locksmith glanced at him disdainfully, but returned no otheranswer.
"For my part," said the hangman, who particularly favoured thelamp-post suggestion, "I honour your principles. They"re mineexactly. In such sentiments as them," and here he emphasised hisdiscourse with an oath, "I"m ready to meet you or any man halfway.-Haveyou got a bit of cord anywheres handy? Don"t put yourselfout of the way, if you haven"t. A handkecher will do."
"Don"t be a fool, master," whispered Hugh, seizing Varden roughlyby the shoulder; "but do as you"re bid. You"ll soon hear whatyou"re wanted for. Do it!"
"I"ll do nothing at your request, or that of any scoundrel here,"
returned the locksmith. "If you want any service from me, you mayspare yourselves the pains of telling me what it is. I tell you,beforehand, I"ll do nothing for you."
Mr Dennis was so affected by this constancy on the part of the staunch old man, that he protested--almost with tears in his eyes-thatto baulk his inclinations would be an act of cruelty and harddealing to which he, for one, never could reconcile his conscience.