ooked towards him.

'How do you do, Dennis?' said Gashford, nodding. 'I hope you have
suffered no inconvenience from your late exertions, Dennis?'

'I always will say of you, Muster Gashford,' returned the hangman,
staring at him, 'that that 'ere quiet way of yours might almost wake a
dead man. It is,' he added, with a muttered oath--still staring at him
in a thoughtful manner--'so awful sly!'

'So distinct, eh Dennis?'

'Distinct!' he answered, scratching his head, and keeping his eyes upon
the secretary's face; 'I seem to hear it, Muster Gashford, in my wery
bones.'

'I am very glad your sense of hearing is so sharp, and that I succeed
in making myself so intelligible,' said Gashford, in his unvarying, even
tone. 'Where is your friend?'

Mr Dennis looked round as in expectation of beholding him asleep upon
his bed of straw; then remembering he had seen him go out, replied:

'I can't say where he is, Muster Gashford, I expected him back afore
now. I hope it isn't time that we was busy, Muster Gashford?'

'Nay,' said the secretary, 'who should know that as well as you? How
can I tell you, Dennis? You are perfect master of your own actions, you
know, and accountable to nobody--except sometimes to the law, eh?'

Dennis, who was very much baffled by the cool matter-of-course manner of
this reply, recovered his self-possession on his professional pursuits
being referred to, and pointing towards Barnaby, shook his head and
frowned.

'Hush!' cried Barnaby.

'Ah! Do hush about that, Muster Gashford,' said the hangman in a low
voice, 'pop'lar prejudices--you always forget--well, Barnaby, my lad,
what's the matter?'

'I hear him coming,' he answered: 'Hark! Do you mark that? That's his
foot! Bless you, I know his step, and his dog's too. Tramp, tramp,
pit-pat, on they come together, and, ha ha ha!--and here they are!' he
cried, joyfully welcoming Hugh with both hands, and then patting him
fondly on the back, as if instead of being the rough companion he was,
he had been one of the most prepossessing of men. 'Here he is, and safe
too! I am glad to see him back again, old Hugh!'

'I'm a Turk if he don't give me a warmer welcome always than any man
of sense,' said Hugh, shaking hands with him with a kind of ferocious
friendship, strange enough to see. 'How are you, boy?'

'Hearty!' cried Barnaby, waving his hat. 'Ha ha ha! And merry too,
Hugh! And ready to do anything for the good cause, and the right, and
to help