"

"I have," and the mysterious stranger drew from an inside pocket of his
blouse a heavy leathern purse. Unfastening its strings he emptied its
contents, golden guineas, into his own hands, as if to prove that he had
the wherewithal to pay for himself and child. The sight of so much gold
caused the landlord's eyes to sparkle with delight, and he said:

"You can have what you ask!"

The stranger returned his money to his purse and put it in the pocket of
his blouse. There was an air of mystery about the stranger which puzzled
the landlord, and he stood gazing at him, his brow gathered into a knot
of wrinkles as if trying to solve some intricate problem. The man was
sparing of his words; but when he did speak there was something terrible
in his voice; it was deep and heavy like the roar of a cannon. While the
landlord was gazing at him, lost in a sort of revery, he was suddenly
startled by the awful voice asking:

"Will supper be ready soon?"

"Directly."

The host, being thus recalled to his duty, wheeled about to return to
the kitchen. On his way he was met by his wife, whose face was the very
picture of terror and superstitious dread.

"Have nought to do with them! Have nought to do with them!"

"Wherefore, good wife, do you say as much?"

She whispered a few words in his ears which made him turn pale, and with
eyes starting from their sockets, he asked:

"How know you this?"

"Mrs. Johnson hath told me."

The whole demeanor of the landlord underwent an immediate change, his
eyes no longer sparkled with delight at thought of the golden guineas,
and he would sooner have handled a red-hot toasting-fork than have
touched one of them. For a moment he stood hesitating and actually
quaking, and then he appealed to his wife with:

"What must be done?"

"Be done with them at once. Marry! send them hence without delay."

The good dame ruled the household, and he hastily returned to the porch
where the stranger and his child were sitting, and said:

"I cannot make room for you!"

Half starting from his seat, the traveller fixed his terrible eyes on
the host and asked:

"What mean you? Be you afraid of your payment? Verily, I will give you
the money before I eat your bread," and once more he put his hand into
the pocket of the blouse to pull forth the purse; but the landlord
raised his own hand and, with a restraining gesture and averted his
head, as if he dreaded a sight of the other's gold, answered: