The Child of Waterloo, or, The Horrors of the Battle-Field — page 202: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

THE CHILD OF WATERLOO. 199 ‘©No,” said the first; ‘‘I haven’t heard anybody move. I dare say it was only the wind.” ‘Tt may be; but were I you, I'd go up and see, and so satisfy myself at all events.” ‘© And why don’t you, yourself?” ‘‘ Are you afraid of a sound,” inquired the second voice, ‘‘ that you want somebody else to go and see for you?” ‘‘ Oh, I dare say—lI dare say it’s the wind.” ‘Tt may be; but it may be an ill wind to us, and if you do not go up, I will!” ‘‘ Just stand back—T’ll go; I have nothing to fear—you have —but you may as well keep close at hand.” The mendicaut listened attentively, and could hear they were both creeping up the stairs into the passage, and when there they examined the place, but saw no one that could bave caused the disturbance. ‘‘Tt was only the wind.” ‘*Most likely some one going by gave it a push on purpose, for the lark of the thing.” ‘‘ Curse their larks.” ‘© So say I; but they will do it, though they know there’s no- body here to frighten, but they like to hear themselves, or the noise they make.” : ‘‘So they do; but yet it is possible that they may have gone up-stairs.” ‘‘Tt is not very likely, Ishould think, but yet it is possible,” said the first voice. ‘‘ Listen awhile.” They approached the stairs and stood in an attitude of atten- tion for some moments, perfectly still with suppressed breath- ing. ‘‘T hear nothing,” said one. ‘‘ NorI; but—but what was that —a, shadow ? where did that come from ?” ; ‘‘ A shadow!” ‘* Yes, did you not see it? a shadow came between me and the skylight in the roof.” To explain this we may say that the mendicant had stood there in breathless agitation, listening to the conversation that was being carried on in whispers below; but he suddenly peeped over the banisters, and saw the two men below, with their ears turned upward to catch the slightest sound that might be uttered or made, proceeding from above. The mendicant had not thought upon the skylight above, and the shadow below; but ae saw the two ears turned upward endeavoring to catch some- thing. Thinking it would be a pity they should not catch something, he turned about to see what he could oblige them with. There was nothing at all at band, save one or two large pantiles, and they stood invitingly balancing upon the very extremity of the lauding, just over the precise spot where the two men were standing at that moment. The pantiles bad fallen from the roof above, which was not in the best state of repair, as may be imagined, in consequence of their absence from their appropri- comicbooks. com