cing under his
auspices the translation of the Haik Esop, with the promise, no doubt, of
a considerable remuneration for my trouble; or I might be taking a seat
opposite the Moldavian clerk, and imbibing the first rudiments of doing
business after the Armenian fashion, with the comfortable hope of
realising, in a short time, a fortune of three or four hundred thousand
pounds; but the Armenian was now gone, and farewell to the fine hopes I
had founded upon him the day before. What was I to do? I looked wildly
around, till my eyes rested on the Moldavian clerk, who was writing away
in his ledger with particular vehemence. Not knowing well what to do or
to say, I thought I might as well ask the Moldavian clerk when the
Armenian had departed, and when he thought he would return. It is true
it mattered little to me when he departed seeing that he was gone, and it
was evident that he would not be back soon; but I knew not what to do,
and in pure helplessness thought I might as well ask; so I went up to the
Moldavian clerk and asked him when the Armenian had departed, and whether
he had been gone two days or three? Whereupon the Moldavian clerk
looking up from his ledger, made certain signs, which I could by no means
understand. I stood astonished, but, presently recovering myself,
inquired when he considered it probable that the master would return, and
whether he thought it would be two months or--my tongue faltered--two
years; whereupon the Moldavian clerk made more signs than before, and yet
more unintelligible; as I persisted, however, he flung down his pen, and,
putting his thumb into his mouth moved it rapidly, causing the nail to
sound against the lower jaw; whereupon I saw that he was dumb, and
hurried away, for I had always entertained a horror of dumb people,
having once heard my mother say, when I was a child, that dumb people
were half demoniacs, or little better.

CHAPTER LII.

Leaving the house of the Armenian, I strolled about for some time; almost
mechanically my feet conducted me to London Bridge, to the booth in which
stood the stall of the old apple-woman; the sound of her voice aroused
me, as I sat in a kind of stupor on the stone bench beside her; she was
inquiring what was the matter with me.

At first, I believe, I answered her very incoherently, for I observed
alarm beginning to depict itself upon her countenance. Rousing myself,
however, I in my turn put a few questions to her upon her