at he had need to
open them wider than ever.

He could not have quaked more, through his whole being, before the
teeth, though he had come into the service of some powerful enchanter,
and they had been his strongest spells. The boy had a sense of power and
authority in this patron of his that engrossed his whole attention and
exacted his most implicit submission and obedience. He hardly considered
himself safe in thinking about him when he was absent, lest he should
feel himself immediately taken by the throat again, as on the morning
when he first became bound to him, and should see every one of the teeth
finding him out, and taxing him with every fancy of his mind. Face to
face with him, Rob had no more doubt that Mr Carker read his secret
thoughts, or that he could read them by the least exertion of his will
if he were so inclined, than he had that Mr Carker saw him when he
looked at him. The ascendancy was so complete, and held him in such
enthralment, that, hardly daring to think at all, but with his
mind filled with a constantly dilating impression of his patron's
irresistible command over him, and power of doing anything with him, he
would stand watching his pleasure, and trying to anticipate his orders,
in a state of mental suspension, as to all other things.

Rob had not informed himself perhaps--in his then state of mind it would
have been an act of no common temerity to inquire--whether he yielded
so completely to this influence in any part, because he had floating
suspicions of his patron's being a master of certain treacherous arts
in which he had himself been a poor scholar at the Grinders' School. But
certainly Rob admired him, as well as feared him. Mr Carker, perhaps,
was better acquainted with the sources of his power, which lost nothing
by his management of it.

On the very night when he left the Captain's service, Rob, after
disposing of his pigeons, and even making a bad bargain in his hurry,
had gone straight down to Mr Carker's house, and hotly presented
himself before his new master with a glowing face that seemed to expect
commendation.

'What, scapegrace!' said Mr Carker, glancing at his bundle 'Have you
left your situation and come to me?'

'Oh if you please, Sir,' faltered Rob, 'you said, you know, when I come
here last--'

'I said,' returned Mr Carker, 'what did I say?'

'If you please, Sir, you didn't say nothing at all, Sir,' returned Rob,
warned by the manner of this inquiry, and