Barnaby Rudge Manuscript: Chapters 1 to 7

fantails, tumblers, and pouters, were perhaps not quite consistent with the grave and sober character of the building, but the ?? monotonous cooing, which never ceased to be raised by some among them all day long, suited it exactly, and seemed to lull it to rest. With its overhanging stories, drowsy little panes of glass, and front bulging out and projecting over the pathway, the old house looked as if it were nodding in its sleep. Indeed, it needed no very great stretch of fancy to detect in it other resemblances to humanity. The bricks of which it was built had originally been a deep dark red, but had grown yellow and discoloured like an old man's skin; the sturdy timbers had decayed like teeth; and here and there the ivy, like a warm garment to comfort it in its age, wrapt its green leaves closely round the time-worn walls. It was a hale and hearty age though, still: and in the summer or autumn evenings, when the glow of the setting sun fell upon the oak and chestnut trees of the adjacent forest, the old house, partaking of its lustre, seemed their fit companion, and to have many good years of life in him yet. The evening with which we have to do, was

Mr RudgeWillet walked slowly up to the window, and?????????? had ???? close to the cold glass flattening flattened his fat nose against the cold glass, and shading his eyes that his sight might not be affected by the ruddy glow of the fire, looked abroad. Then he walked slowly back to his old seat in the chimney-comer, and, composing himself in it with a slight shiver, such as a man might give way to and so acquire an additional relish for the warm blaze, said, looking round upon his guests: "It'll clear at eleven o'clock. No sooner and no later. Not before and not arterwards." "How do you make out that?" said a little man in the opposite corner. " The moon is past the ful1, and she rises at nine." John looked sedately and solemnly at his questioner until he had brought his mind to bear upon the whole of his observation, and then made answer, in a tone which seemed to imply that the moon was peculiarly his business and nobody else's: "Never you mind about the moon. Don't you trouble yourself about her. You let the moon alone, and I'll let you alone." "No offence I hope?" said the little man. Again John waited leisurely until the observation had thoroughly penetrated to his brain, and then replying, "No offence [1as yet1]," applied a light to his pipe and smoked in placid silence; now and then casting a sidelong look at a man

wrapped in a loose riding coat with large huge cuffs ornamented with tarnished silver lace and large metal buttons, who sat apart from the regular frequenters of the house, and wearing a hat flapped over his face, which was still further shaded by the hand ?? on which his forehead rested, looked unsocial unsociable enough. There was another guest who sat, booted and spurred, at some distance from the fire also, and whose thoughts -- to judge from ???? his folded arms knitted brows and knitted brows, ???? and from the untasted liquor before him -- were occupied with other matters than the topics under discussion or the persons who discussed them. This was a young man of about eight-and-twenty, rather above the middle height, and though of somewhat slight figure, gracefully and strongly made. He wore his own dark hair, and was accoutred in a riding dress, which together with his large boots (resembling in shape and fashion those worn by our Life Guardsmen at the present day), showed indisputable traces of the bad condition of the roads. But travel-stained though he was, he was well and even richly attired, and without being overdressed looked a gallant gentleman. Lying upon the table beside him, as he had carelessly thrown them down, were a heavy riding-whip and a slouched hat, the latter

worn no doubt as being best suited to the inclemency of the weather. There too were a pair of pistols in a holster case, and a short riding cloak. Little of his face was visible, except the long dark lashes which concealed his downcast eyes, butThere wa Aan air of careless ease and natural gracefulness of demeanour whichpervaded the figure, seemed to comprehend even those [?????] accessories and seemed to comprehend even those slight accessories which were all handsome [?] and in good taste keeping. [?? ?? ?? ??? ??? ?? ? ?????] [????? ????] Towards this young gentleman the eyes of Peter Badge Mr. Willet wandered but once and [????]then as if in mute enquiry whether he had observed his silent neighbour. It was plain that Mr Badge and John and the young gentleman had often met before. [????] the landlord Peter exceedingly [?????? ?? ????] Finding that his look was not returned or indeed observed by the person to whom it was addressed, John gradually concentrated the whole power of his eyes into one focus, and brought it to bear upon the man in the flapped hat, at whom he came to stare in course of time with an intensity so remarkable, that it affected his fireside cronies, who all, as with one accord, took their pipes from their lips, and stared with open mouths at the stranger likewise. The sturdy landlord had a large pair of dull fish-like eyes, and the little man who had hazarded the remark about the moon (and who was the parish-clerk and bell-ringer of Chigwell, a village hard by) had little round black shiny eyes like beads; moreover this little man wore at the knees of his rusty black breeches, and