Barnaby Rudge Manuscript: Chapters 1 to 7

the key of the church in the other." At this point of the narrative, the [????] dress of the strange man rustled as if he had turned himself to hear more distinctly. Slightly pointing over his shoulder, Solomon elevated his eyebrows and nodded a silent inquiry to Joe whether this was the case. Joe shaded his eyes with his hand and peered into the corner, but could make out nothing, and so shook his head. [Solomon Daisy ???????] "It was just such a night as this, blowing a hurricane, and [???????????????] raining heavily, and very dark[dash] I often think now, darker than I ever saw it before or since; ??? [???????????????????????]that may be my fancy, but the houses were all close shut and the folks in- doors, and perhaps there is only one other man who knows how dark it really was. I got into the church, chained the door back so that it should ????? keep ajar -- for, to tell the truth, I didn't like [??????????????] to be shut in there alone -- and putting my lantern [??]on the stone seat in the little corner where the bell-rope is, sat down beside it to trim the candle. "I sat down[??????] to trim the candle, and when I had done so I could not persuade myself to get up again, and go about my work. I don't know [what] how it was, but I thought of all the ghost stories I had ever heard, even those that I had heard when I was a boy at school, and had forgotten long ago; and they didn't come into my mind one after another, but al1 crowding at once, like. I recollected one story there was in the village, how that on a certain night in the year (it might be that very night for anything

I knew) all the dead people came out of their graves the ground and sat at the grave [????] at the heads of their own graves till morning. This made me think how many people I [????] had known were buried between the church-door and the churchyard gate, and what a {?????} dreadful thing it would be to have to pass among them and know them again, so earthy and unlike themselves. I had known all the niches and arches in the church from a child; still, I couldn't persuade myself that those were their natural shadows which I saw on the pavement, but felt sure there were some ugly figures hiding among 'em and peeping out. Thinking on in this way, I began to think of the old gentleman who was just dead, and I could have sworn, as I looked up the dark chancel, that I saw him in his usual place, wrapping his shroud about him and shivering as if he felt it cold. All this time I sat listening and listening, and hardly dared to breathe. At length I started up and took the bell-rope in my hands. At that minute there rang -- not that bell, for I had hardly touched the rope -- but another! "I heard the ringing of another bell, and a deep bell too, plainly. It was only for an instant, and even then the wind carried the sound away, but I heard it. I listened for a long time, but it rang no more. I had heard of corpse candles, and at last I persuaded myself that this must be a corpse bell tolling of itself at midnight for the dead. I tolled

of March, one thousand seven hundred and fifty-three. On the nineteenth of March in some year no matter when -- I know it, I am sure of it, for we have always, in some strange way or other, been brought back to the subject on that day ever since -- on the nineteenth of March in some year, sooner or later, that man will be discovered."

[Chapter 2]

"A strange story!" said the man who had been the cause of the narration. -- " Stranger still if it comes about as you predict. Is that the whole of it? that all?" A question so unexpected, nettled Solomon Daisy not a little. By dint of relating the story very often, and ???????? ???? ornamenting it (according to village report) with a few ornamental flourishes suggested by the schoolmaster, various hearers from time to time he had come in course of time by degrees to tell it with great effect; and " is that all?" after the climax, was not what he was ??? was accustomed to.

"Is that all?" he repeated, "yes, that's all, sir. And enough too, I think." "I think so too. My horse, young man! He is but a hack hired from a roadside posting house, but he must carry me to London to-night." " To-night!" said Joe. "To-night," returned the other. "What do you stare at? This tavern would seem to be a house of call for all the gaping idlers of the neighbourhood!" At this remark, which evidently had reference to the scrutiny he had undergone, as mentioned in the foregoing chapter, the eyes of John Willet and his friends were diverted with marvellous rapidity to the copper boiler again. Not so with Joe, who, being a mettlesome fellow, returned the stranger's angry glance with a steady look, and rejoined: "It is not a very bold thing to wonder at your going on to-night. Surely you have been asked such a harmless question in an inn before, and in better weather than this. I thought you mightn't know the way, as you seem strange to this part." " The way --" repeated the other, irritably. "Yes.[1Do]1 you know it?" "I'll -- humph! -- I'll find it," replied the man, waving his hand and turning on his heel. "Landlord, take the reckoning here." John Willet did as he was desired; for on that point he was seldom slow, except in

as giving change, and ?testing the goodness of any piece of money to his the particulars of giving change and testing the goodness of any piece of coin that was proffered to him, by the application of his teeth or all his tongue, who can ??? a variety of other tests

or some other test, or in ??? doubtful cases, by a long series of tests terminating in its rejection. The guest then wrapped himself caref ??????

his garments about him so as to shelter himself ????

as effectually as he could from the rough weather,

????? and without any word or sign of farewell betook himself to the ?? stableyard.

???

Here Joe (who had left the room on the conclusion of their short dialogue) was protecting himself and the horse from the rain under the shelter of an old penthouse roof.

"He's pretty much of my opinion," said Joe, patting the horse upon the neck. "I'll wager that your stopping here to-night would please him better than it would please me." "He and I are of different opinions, as we have been more than once on our way here," was the short reply. "So I was thinking before you came out, for he has felt your spurs, poor beast." The stranger adjusted his coat-collar about his face, and made no answer.

You'll know me ???

"You'll know me again, I see," he said, marking the young fellow's earnest gaze, ??? when he had sprung into the saddle.

?????? " The man's worth knowing, master, who travels a road he don't know, mounted on a jaded horse, and leaves good quarters to do it on such a night as this." You're asleep? " You have sharp eyes and a sharp tongue, I find." " Both I hope ???

by nature, but the last grows rusty sometimes for want of using."

" Use the first less too, and keep their sharpness ?? for your sweethearts, boy," said the man.

??? So saying he shook his hand from the bridle, struck him roughly on the head with the butt end of his whip, and galloped away;