The String of Pearls (1850), p. 580

him;" but he was afraid even to whisper them, lest Todd should not be equally discreet in reply. He knew he could whisper softly enough; but he thought his companion might not be so accomplished in that particular, so he was silent.
Before the individual who bad announced himself to be the Governor s clerk could get into the passage down the flight of stairs, the person on the outside of the door got impatient, and executed another rather startling rap.
"Oh, bother you," said the clerk. "I only wish you were at the bottom of the Thames—I'm coming, stupid; don't you see the light throught the little bit of glass at the top of the door, that—ah, dear! how gapish I am—you keep hammering away there, as if you thought we were all deaf or stupid?"
The clerk was evidently wakening up, but as he carried the light right in front of his eyes, he had not the smallest chance of seeing either Mr. Todd or Lupin, and in that way he reached the passage, or hall it might be called from courtesy.
To be sure, how could he for one moment suspect to find two of the most notorious criminals in all Newgate snugly hidden in the hall? We must consider how very improbable such a thing was, before we blame the clerk for any imprudence in the matter.
The grand object of Lupin, who kept his sharp little ferret-looking eyes upon the clerk as he descended, was to note if he had a key with him at all; if he had, there could be no doubt of its being the key of the little lock that had so baffled his, Lupin's, attempts to open it, upon the door of the Governor's house. To his great satisfaction he saw that, dangling from the clerk's finger by a piece of tape, he did carry a key, and Lupin at once naturally concluded it was the one
he wanted.
"Only just let me find out now," said the clerk, "that this is something about nothing, and won't I make a riot about it in the morning. To rouse a fellow out of his bed, it is really too bad, as if any kind of thing could not be just as well done in the day time as in the middle of night. Now stupid, who are you?"
These last words he addressed to the person outside, by placing his mouth close to the keyhole.
A voice responded something, the only recognisable word of which was "donkey."
"What do you say?" cried the clerk, again. "You are—a—a—donkey, do you say?"
"No," said the voice from the outside through the key-hole. "But you are."
"Oh, am I, you infernal vagabond? I'll soon let you know what's what, I will, you rascal."
With this the clerk began to open the door, and the moment he got the key in the little lock, so that Mr. Lupin was thoroughly aware it was the one he wanted, he sprung upon the unfortunate clerk, and dashing his head against the door, which was heavily plated with iron, he knocked him insensible in a moment.
To open the lock was the work of an instant, and the door creaked upon its hinges.
"Who are you?" said Lupin.
"A messenger from the Secretary of State," said the man on the outside, "and I shall report your insolence."
"Don't," said Lupin.
"Indeed, I shall."
"Then take that."
With the file he dealt' him a frightful wound in the face and then they both rolled down the whole flight of steps together, for Mr. Lupin had overbalanced himself with that blow. Todd sprang over them both, and gained the open street, just as a watchman who was opposite began to spring his rattle at seeing such a scuffle going on at the Governor's door. The messenger from the Secretary of State, notwithstanding his wound, grappled with Lupin, but that rascal got hold of