deuce is in him, I think. Why
can't he leave her in the open air?'

He did not, whatever his reason was, but led her quickly down and
disappeared himself, without loosening his cloak, or pausing on the
crowded deck one moment longer than was necessary to clear their way to
that part of the vessel.

Tom had not heard this little dialogue; for his attention had been
engaged in an unexpected manner. A hand upon his sleeve had caused
him to look round, just when Mrs Gamp concluded her apostrophe to the
steam-engine; and on his right arm, Ruth being on his left, he found
their landlord, to his great surprise.

He was not so much surprised at the man's being there, as at his having
got close to him so quietly and swiftly; for another person had been
at his elbow one instant before; and he had not in the meantime been
conscious of any change or pressure in the knot of people among whom he
stood. He and Ruth had frequently remarked how noiselessly this landlord
of theirs came into and went out of his own house; but Tom was not the
less amazed to see him at his elbow now.

'I beg your pardon, Mr Pinch,' he said in his ear. 'I am rather infirm,
and out of breath, and my eyes are not very good. I am not as young as I
was, sir. You don't see a gentleman in a large cloak down yonder, with a
lady on his arm; a lady in a veil and a black shawl; do you?'

If HE did not, it was curious that in speaking he should have singled
out from all the crowd the very people whom he described; and should
have glanced hastily from them to Tom, as if he were burning to direct
his wandering eyes.

'A gentleman in a large cloak!' said Tom, 'and a lady in a black shawl!
Let me see!'

'Yes, yes!' replied the other, with keen impatience. 'A gentleman
muffled up from head to foot--strangely muffled up for such a morning
as this--like an invalid, with his hand to his face at this minute,
perhaps. No, no, no! not there,' he added, following Tom's gaze; 'the
other way; in that direction; down yonder.' Again he indicated, but this
time in his hurry, with his outstretched finger, the very spot on which
the progress of these persons was checked at that moment.

'There are so many people, and so much motion, and so many objects,'
said Tom, 'that I find it difficult to--no, I really don't see a
gentleman in a large cloak, and a lady in a black shawl. There's a lady
in a red shawl over there!'

'No, no, no!' cried his landlord, pointing eagerly again, '