Now, her voice was the sweetest Robin had heard that night, theairy counterpart of a stream of melted silver; yet he could not helpdoubting whether that sweet voice spoke Gospel truth. He looked up anddown the mean street, and then surveyed the house before which theystood. It was a small, dark edifice of two stories, the second ofwhich projected over the lower floor; and the front apartment hadthe aspect of a shop for petty commodities.
"Now truly I am in luck," replied Robin, cunningly, "and soindeed is my kinsman, the major, in having so pretty a housekeeper.
But I prithee trouble him to step to the door; I will deliver him amessage from his friends in the country, and then go back to mylodgings at the inn.""Nay, the major has been a-bed this hour or more," said the lady ofthe scarlet petticoat; "and it would be to little purpose to disturbhim tonight, seeing his evening draught was of the strongest. But heis a kind-hearted man, and it would be as much as my life's worth tolet a kinsman of his turn away from the door. You are the good oldgentleman's very picture, and I could swear that was his rainy-weatherhat. Also he has garments very much resembling those leathersmall-clothes. But come in, I pray, for I bid you hearty welcome inhis name."So saying, the fair and hospitable dame took our hero by thehand; and the touch was light, and the force was gentleness, andthough Robin read in her eyes what he did not hear in her words, yetthe slender-waisted woman in the scarlet petticoat proved strongerthan the athletic country youth. She had drawn his half-willingfootsteps nearly to the threshold, when the opening of a door in theneighborhood startled the major's housekeeper, and, leaving themajor's kinsman, she vanished speedily into her own domicile. Aheavy yawn preceded the appearance of a man, who, like the Moonshineof Pyramus and Thisbe, carried a lantern, needlessly aiding his sisterluminary in the heavens. As he walked sleepily up the street, heturned his broad, dull face on Robin, and displayed a long staff,spiked at the end.
"Home, vagabond, home!" said the watchman, in accents that seemedto fall asleep as soon as they were uttered. "Home, or we'll set youin the stocks, by peep of day!""This is the second hint of the kind," thought Robin. "I wishthey would end my difficulties, by setting me there tonight."Nevertheless, the youth felt an instinctive antipathy towards theguardian of midnight order, which at first prevented him from askinghis usual question. But just when the man was about to vanish behindthe corner, Robin resolved not to lose the opportunity, and shoutedlustily after him- "I say, friend! will you guide me to the house ofmy kinsman, Major Molineux?"The watchman made no reply, but turned the corner and was gone; yetRobin seemed to hear the sound of drowsy laughter stealing along thesolitary street. At that moment, also, a pleasant titter saluted himfrom the open window above his head; he looked up, and caught thesparkle of a saucy eye; a round arm beckoned to him, and next he heardlight footsteps descending the staircase within. But Robin, being ofthe household of a New England clergyman, was a good youth, as well asa shrewd one; so he resisted temptation, and fled away.
He now roamed desperately, and at random, through the town,almost ready to believe that a spell was on him, like that by whicha wizard of his country had once kept three pursuers wandering, awhole winter night, within twenty paces of the cottage which theysought. The streets lay before him, strange and desolate, and thelights were extinguished in almost every house. Twice, however, littleparties of men, among whom Robin distinguished individuals inoutlandish attire, came hurrying along; but though on both occasionsthey paused to address him, such intercourse did not at allenlighten his perplexity. They did but utter a few words in somelanguage of which Robin knew nothing, and perceiving his inabilityto answer, bestowed a curse upon him in plain English, and hastenedaway. Finally, the lad determined to knock at the door of everymansion that might appear worthy to be occupied by his kinsman,trusting that perseverance would overcome the fatality that hadhitherto thwarted him. Firm in this resolve, he was passing beneaththe walls of a church, which formed the corner of two streets, when,as he turned into the shade of its steeple, he encountered a bulkystranger, muffled in a cloak. The man was proceeding with the speed ofearnest business, but Robin planted himself full before him, holdingthe oak cudgel with both hands across his body, as a bar to furtherpassage.
"Halt, honest man, and answer me a question," said he, veryresolutely. "Tell me, this instant, whereabouts is the dwelling ofmy kinsman, Major Molineux?""Keep your tongue between your teeth, fool, and let me pass!"said a deep, gruff voice, which Robin partly remembered. "Let me pass,I say, or I'll strike you to the earth!""No, no, neighbor!" cried Robin, flourishing his cudgel, and thenthrusting its larger end close to the man's muffled face. "No, no, I'mnot the fool you take me for, nor do you pass till I have an answer tomy question. Whereabouts is the dwelling of my kinsman, MajorMolineux?"The stranger, instead of attempting to force his passage, steppedback into the moonlight, unmuffled his face, and stared full into thatof Robin.
"Watch here an hour, and Major Molineux will pass by," said he.
