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As Pinto looked at itMr。 Gale was not in the room； I recollect；
happening to have been just called out by a customer who offered
him three pound fourteen and sixpence for a blue Shepherd in pate
tendre；Mr。 Pinto gave a little start； and seemed crispe for a
moment。 Then he looked steadily toward one of those great
porcelain stools which you see in gardensandit seemed to meI
tell you I won't take my affidavitI may have been maddened by the
six glasses I took of that pink elixirI may have been sleep…
walking： perhaps am as I write nowI may have been under the
influence of that astounding MEDIUM into whose hands I had fallen
but I vow I heard Pinto say； with rather a ghastly grin at the
porcelain stool；
〃Nay； nefer shague your gory locks at me；
Dou canst not say I did it。〃
（He pronounced it； by the way； I DIT it； by which I KNOW that Pinto
was a German。）
I heard Pinto say those very words； and sitting on the porcelain
stool I saw； dimly at first； then with an awful distinctnessa
ghostan EIDOLONa formA HEADLESS MAN seated with his head in
his lap； which wore an expression of piteous surprise。
At this minute； Mr。 Gale entered from the front shop to show a
customer some Delft plates； and he did not seebut WE DIDthe
figure rise up from the porcelain stool； shake its head； which it
held in its hand； and which kept its eyes fixed sadly on us； and
disappear behind the guillotine。
〃Come to the 'Gray's…Inn Coffee…House；'〃 Pinto said； 〃and I will
tell you how the notch came to the ax。〃 And we walked down Holborn
at about thirty…seven minutes past six o'clock。
If there is anything in the above statement which astonishes the
reader； I promise him that in the next chapter of this little story
he will be astonished still more。
II
〃You will excuse me；〃 I said to my companion； 〃for remarking that
when you addressed the individual sitting on the porcelain stool；
with his head in his lap； your ordinarily benevolent features〃
（this I confess was a bouncer； for between ourselves a more
sinister and ill…looking rascal than Mons。 P。 I have seldom set
eyes on）〃your ordinarily handsome face wore an expression that
was by no means pleasing。 You grinned at the individual just as
you did at me when you went up to the cei； pardon me； as I
THOUGHT you did； when I fell down in a fit in your chambers〃； and I
qualified my words in a great flutter and tremble； I did not care
to offend the manI did not DARE to offend the man。 I thought
once or twice of jumping into a cab； and flying； of taking refuge
in Day and Martin's Blacking Warehouse； of speaking to a policeman；
but not one would come。 I was this man's slave。 I followed him
like his dog。 I COULD not get away from him。 So； you see； I went
on meanly conversing with him； and affecting a simpering
confidence。 I remember； when I was a little boy at school； going
up fawning and smiling in this way to some great hulking bully of a
sixth…form boy。 So I said in a word； 〃Your ordinarily handsome
face wore a disagreeable expression；〃 &c。
〃It is ordinarily VERY handsome；〃 said he； with such a leer at a
couple of passers…by； that one of them cried； 〃Oh； crickey； here's
a precious guy！〃 and a child； in its nurse's arms； screamed itself
into convulsions。 〃Oh； oui； che suis tres…choli garcon； bien peau；
cerdainement；〃 continued Mr。 Pinto； 〃but you were right。 That
that person was not very well pleased when he saw me。 There was no
love lost between us； as you say： and the world never knew a more
worthless miscreant。 I hate him； voyez…vous？ I hated him alife； I
hate him dead。 I hate him man； I hate him ghost： and he know it；
and tremble before me。 If I see him twenty tausend years hence
and why not？I shall hate him still。 You remarked how he was
dressed？〃
〃In black satin breeches and striped stockings； a white pique
waistcoat； a gray coat； with large metal buttons； and his hair in
powder。 He must have worn a pigtailonly〃
〃Only it was CUT OFF！ Ha； ha； ha！〃 Mr。 Pinto cried； yelling a
laugh； which I observed made the policeman stare very much。 〃Yes。
It was cut off by the same blow which took off the scoundrel's
headho； ho； ho！〃 And he made a circle with his hook…nailed
finger round his own yellow neck； and grinned with a horrible
triumph。 〃I promise you that fellow was surprised when he found
his head in the pannier。 Ha！ ha！ Do you ever cease to hate those
whom you hate？〃fire flashed terrifically from his glass eye as he
spoke〃or to love dose whom you once loved？ Oh； never； never！〃
And here his natural eye was bedewed with tears。 〃But here we are
at the 'Gray's…Inn CoffeeHouse。' James； what is the joint？〃
That very respectful and efficient waiter brought in the bill of
fare； and I； for my part； chose boiled leg of pork； and pease
pudding； which my acquaintance said would do as well as anything
else； though I remarked he only trifled with the pease pudding； and
left all the pork on the plate。 In fact； he scarcely ate anything。
But he drank a prodigious quantity of wine； and I must say that my
friend Mr。 Hart's port wine is so good that I myself tookwell； I
should think； I took three glasses。 Yes； three； certainly。 HEI
mean Mr。 P。the old rogue； was insatiable： for we had to call for
a second bottle in no time。 When that was gone； my companion
wanted another。 A little red mounted up to his yellow cheeks as he
drank the wine； and he winked at it in a strange manner。 〃I
remember；〃 said he； musing； 〃when port wine was scarcely drunk in
this countrythough the Queen liked it； and so did Hurley； but
Bolingbroke didn'the drank Florence and Champagne。 Dr。 Swift put
water to his wine。 'Jonathan；' I once said to himbut bah！ autres
temps； autres moeurs。 Another magnum； James。〃
This was all very well。 〃My good sir；〃 I said； 〃it may suit YOU to
order bottles of '20 port； at a guinea a bottle； but that kind of
price does not suit me。 I only happen to have thirty…four and
sixpence in my pocket； of which I want a shilling for the waiter；
and eighteen pence for my cab。 You rich foreigners and SWELLS may
spend what you like〃 （I had him there： for my friend's dress was as
shabby as an old…clothes man's）； 〃but a man with a family； Mr。
Whatd'you…call'im； cannot afford to spend seven or eight hundred a
year on his dinner alone。〃
〃Bah！〃 he said。 〃Nunkey pays for all； as you say。 I will what you
call stant the dinner； if you are SO POOR！〃 and again he gave that
disagreeable grin； and placed an odious crook…nailed and by no
means clean finger to his nose。 But I was not so afraid of him
now； for we were in a public place； and the three glasses of port
wine had； you see； given me courage。
〃What a pretty snuff…box！〃 he remarked； as I handed him mine； which
I am still old…fashioned enough to carry。 It is a pretty old gold
box enough； but valuable to me especially as a relic of an old； old
relative； whom