'Devil a bit; passed away like a lamb,' said he. He looked on me a
little, and I saw his hand go to his fob. 'Here, take that! no
sense in fretting,' he said, and, putting a silver two-penny-bit in
my hand, he left me.
I should have had that twopenny framed to hang upon the wall, for
it was the man's one act of charity in all my knowledge of him.
Instead of that, I stood looking at it in my hand and laughed out
bitterly, as I realised his mistake; then went to the ramparts, and
flung it far into the air like blood money. The night was falling;
through an embrasure and across the gardened valley I saw the
lamplighters hasting along Princes Street with ladder and lamp, and
looked on moodily. As I was so standing a hand was laid upon my
shoulder, and I turned about. It was Major Chevenix, dressed for
the evening, and his neckcloth really admirably folded. I never
denied the man could dress.
'Ah!' said he, 'I thought it was you, Champdivers. So he's gone?'
I nodded.
'Come, come,' said he, 'you must cheer up. Of course it's very
distressing, very painful and all that. But do you know, it ain't
such a bad thing either for you or me? What with his death and
your visit to him I am entirely reassured.'
So I was to owe my life to Goguelat at every point.
'I had rather not discuss it,' said I.
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