and everywhere, despite the gloom,
the baleful glitter of the eyes of the rats. I could see them even
through some of the chinks of the boards at the back low down close to
the ground. But stay! these latter eyes seemed more than usually large
and bright and baleful!

For an instant my heart stood still, and I felt in that whirling
condition of mind in which one feels a sort of spiritual drunkenness,
and as though the body is only maintained erect in that there is no
time for it to fall before recovery. Then, in another second, I was
calm--coldly calm, with all my energies in full vigour, with a
self-control which I felt to be perfect and with all my feeling and
instincts alert.

Now I knew the full extent of my danger: I was watched and surrounded
by desperate people! I could not even guess at how many of them were
lying there on the ground behind the shanty, waiting for the moment to
strike. I knew that I was big and strong, and they knew it, too. They
knew also, as I did, that I was an Englishman and would make a fight
for it; and so we waited. I had, I felt, gained an advantage in the
last few seconds, for I knew my danger and understood the situation.
Now, I thought, is the test of my courage--the enduring test: the
fighting test may come later!

The old woman raised her head and said to me in a satisfied kind of
way:

'A very fine ring, indeed--a beautiful ring! Oh, me! I once had such
rings, plenty of them, and bracelets and earrings! Oh! for in those
fine days I led the town a dance! But they've forgotten me now!
They've forgotten me! They? Why they never heard of me! Perhaps their
grandfathers remember me, some of them!' and she laughed a harsh,
croaking laugh. And then I am bound to say that she astonished me, for
she handed me back the ring with a certain suggestion of old-fashioned
grace which was not without its pathos.

The old man eyed her with a sort of sudden ferocity, half rising from
his stool, and said to me suddenly and hoarsely:

'Let me see!'

I was about to hand the ring when the old woman said:

'No! no, do not give it to Pierre! Pierre is eccentric. He loses
things; and such a pretty ring!'

'Cat!' said the old man, savagely. Suddenly the old woman said, rather
more loudly than was necessary:

'Wait! I shall tell you something about a ring.' There was something
in the sound of her voice that jarred upon me. Perhaps it was my
hyper-sensitiveness, wrought up as I was to such a pitch