friend, she is one of us. Dere, you may
go vay--you may go to bed, Mr Vanslyperken."
"What do you mean?"
"I mean dat she laughed at you, and frighten you--dat she is one of us,
and so is her husband, who vas in your chip. Ven you hang, she and I
vill all hang together; now you comprehend?"
"Yes," replied Vanslyperken, "I do now: but how could you trust such
people?"
"Trust such people, Mr Vanslyperken? If you prove as true as those
peoples, vy all de bitter; now go avay--go to bed--you have vaked up all
the peoples here. Good night, Mr Leeftenant;" and the Jew led the way to
the door, and let Vanslyperken out.
"So then," thought Vanslyperken, as he pursued his way down to the
Point, "that woman and her husband are--damnation, but I've a great mind
to discover all, if it's only to hang them." But on second thoughts,
Vanslyperken thought that it was not worth while to be hanged himself,
just for the pleasure of hanging others. It was a great relief to his
mind to know that there was no fear of discovery. The tip of his nose
itched, and he rubbed it mechanically; the rubbing brought away all the
skin. He remembered the hot poker--the money he had been forced to
pay--his being made to sing and to beg pardon on his knees; and he
cursed Moggy in his heart, the more so, as he felt that he dare not take
any steps against her.
When he came to the Point, he stood on the shingle, looking for his
boat, but the men had waited till twelve o'clock, and then presuming
that their commander did not intend to come at all that night, had
pulled on board again. He was looking round for a waterman to pull him
off, when something cold touched his hand. Vanslyperken started, and
almost screamed with fear. He looked, and it was the cold nose of
Snarleyyow, who now leaped upon his master.
"Snarleyyow, my poor dog! how came you on shore?"
But the dog not being able to speak, made no answer.
While Vanslyperken was wondering how the dog could possibly have come on
shore, and what Corporal Van Spitter could be about to have allowed it,
the small casement of a garret window near him was opened, and a head
was thrust out.
"Do you want to go on board, sir?" said a tremulous voice.
"Yes," replied Vanslyperken.
"I will be down directly, sir," replied the old boatman, who in a minute
or two appeared with his sculls on his shoulder.
"Not easy to find a boat at this time of the morning, sir," said the
man; "but I heard you spea
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