but sooner
have remained in the streets all night than stay there all night, like
so many house-dogs, employed by one who stepped in between them and
their father's goods, which were their inheritance, but for one trifling
circumstance--a mere ceremony.

The night came on, and he had lights. True it was he had not been down
stairs, only just to have a look. He could not tell what sort of a place
it was; there were a good many odd sort of passages, that seemed to end
nowhere, and others that did.

There were large doors; but they were all locked, and he had the keys;
so he didn't mind, but secured all places that were not fastened.

He then went up stairs again, and sat down in the room where the bureau
was placed.

"I'll be bound," said one of the guests, "he was in a bit of a stew,
notwithstanding all his brag."

"Oh! I don't believe," said another, "that anything done that is
dangerous, or supposed to be dangerous, by the bravest man, is any way
wholly without some uncomfortable feelings. They may not be strong
enough to prevent the thing proposed to be done from being done, but
they give a disagreeable sensation to the skin."

"You have felt it, then?"

"Ha! ha! ha!"

"Why, at that time I slept in the churchyard for a wager, I must say I
felt cold all over, as if my skin was walking about me in an
uncomfortable manner."

"But you won your wager?"

"I did."

"And of course you slept there?"

"To be sure I did."

"And met with nothing?"

"Nothing, save a few bumps against the gravestones."

"Those were hard knocks, I should say."

"They were, I assure you; but I lay there, and slept there, and won my
wager."

"Would you do it again?"

"No."

"And why not?"

"Because of the rheumatism."

"You caught that?"

"I did; I would give ten times my wager to get rid of them. I have them
very badly."

"Come, order, order--the tale; let's hear the end of that, since it has
begun."

"With all my heart. Come, neighbour."

"Well, as I said, he was fidgetty; but yet he was not a man to be very
easily frightened or overcome, for he was stout and bold.

"When he shut himself up in the room, he took out a bottle of some good
wine, and helped himself to drink; it was good old wine, and he soon
felt himself warmed and, comforted. He could have faced the enemy.

"If one bottle produces such an effect," he muttered, "what will two
do?"

This was a question that could only be solved by trying it, and