"And now," said he, when with trembling fingers I had lighted a candle,
"what is the meaning of all this?"

"I wish you," said I, speaking with great difficulty, "to help me out
with these boxes--and I wish nobody to know."

He took up the candle. "And I wish to see your face," said he.

I turned back my veil without a word, and looked at him with every
appearance of resolve that I could summon up. For some time he gazed
into my face, still holding up the candle. "Well," said he at last, "and
where do you wish them taken?"

I knew that I had gained my point; and it was with a tremor in my voice
that I replied. "I had thought we might carry them between us to the
corner of Euston Road," said I, "where, even at this late hour, we may
still find a cab."

"Very good," was his reply; and he immediately hoisted the heavier of my
trunks upon his shoulder, and taking one handle of the second, signed to
me to help him at the other end. In this order we made good our retreat
from the house, and without the least adventure, drew pretty near to the
corner of Euston Road. Before a house, where there was a light still
burning, my companion paused. "Let us here," said he, "set down our
boxes, while we go forward to the end of the street in quest of a cab.
By doing so, we can still keep an eye upon their safety; and we avoid
the very extraordinary figure we should otherwise present--a young man,
a young lady, and a mass of baggage, standing castaway at midnight on
the streets of London." So it was done, and the event proved him to be
wise; for long before there was any word of a cab, a policeman appeared
upon the scene, turned upon us the full glare of his lantern, and hung
suspiciously behind us in a doorway.

"There seem to be no cabs about, policeman," said my champion, with
affected cheerfulness. But the constable's answer was ungracious; and as
for the offer of a cigar, with which this rebuff was most unwisely
followed up, he refused it point-blank, and without the least civility.
The young gentleman looked at me with a warning grimace, and there we
continued to stand, on the edge of the pavement, in the beating rain,
and with the policeman still silently watching our movements from the
doorway.

At last, and after a delay that seemed interminable, a four-wheeler
appeared lumbering along in the mud, and was instantly hailed by my
companion. "Just pull up here, will you?" he cried. "We have some
baggage up the street."