Page:The London Guide and Stranger's Safeguard.djvu/40

24 with two gentlemen, when the master of the house beckoned him out, and gave him leave of absense. "I shall go instantly,—but my cane and gloves lie in that corner," replied Mr. Pullen. To this Boniface objected, ordered him to "evacuate the premises," without the goods, and proceeded to acts of violence; the two strangers interfered, protected "the respectable looking old gentleman," as they called him, disbelieving the landlord's information, which they attributed either to a hoax, or to malice, and went off in triumph to another house. What is more, they handed him along arm in arm between them, and he could scarcely get liberty to speak a word to a nice crummy young woman, who seemed surprised and interested at his situation. "He wished to send home a message by her," he said; but the two boobies would not lose sight, and did but just loosen their hold. The interview was abridged by their intrusion, and with the use of a little force, the fair frail one was permitted to pursue her way.

But what a tragedy! One of the strangers lost his pocket-book, soon after he had occupied his present seat, as he said, and the other a small packet of less value. They suspected their new acquaintance, and he was searched by consent,