IV
Midnight Warning
I glanced round, involuntarily, at the window of the man's shop, and saw that, there being little in it, he would certainly have been able, while talking to White Whiskers and his companion, to command a view of the other side of the street, and so had doubtless seen me hanging about. But his curt manner helped to disperse my embarrassment and awkwardness, and I boldly took another line. After all, I had—as far as I knew—as good a right to ask questions as White Whiskers had.
"Well, supposing I was watching them?" I retorted. "I may have had a good reason, and very good reason! What do you say to that?"
He began to shift about the things on his counter, aimlessly. I remained watching him. Suddenly he looked up, nervously, but defiantly.
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