hundred doors to keep him out, and then had found him at my el-
bow. I could not doubt either that he was there, because I was
there, and that however slight an appearance of danger there might
be about us, danger was always near and active.

I put such questions to Mr. Wopsle as, When did the man come
in? He could not tell me that; he saw me, and over my shoulder
he saw the man. It was not until he had seen him for some time
that he began to identify him; but he had from the first vaguely
associated him with me, and known him as somehow belonging
to me in the old village time. How was he dressed? Prosperously,
but not noticeably otherwise; he thought, in black. Was his face
at all disfigured? No, he believed not. I believed not, too, for al-
though in my brooding state I had taken no especial notice of the
people behind me, I thought it likely that a face at all disfigured
would have attracted my attention.

When Mr. Wopsle had imparted to me all that he could recall
or I extract, and when I had treated him to a little appropriate
refreshment after the fatigues of the evening, we parted. It was
between twelve and one o'clock when I reached the Temple, and
the gates were shut. No one was near me when I went in and went
home.

Herbert had come in, and we held a very serious council by the
fire. But there was nothing to be done, saving to communicate
to Wemmick what I had that night found out, and to remind him
that we waited for his hint. As I thought that I might compro-
mise him if I went too often to the Castle, I made this communica-
tion by letter. I wrote it before I went to bed and went out and
posted it; and again no one was near me. Herbert and I agreed
that we could do nothing else but be very cautious. And we were
very cautious indeed--more cautious than before, if that were pos-
sible--and I for my part never went near Chink's Basin, except
when I rowed by, and then I only looked at Mill Pond Bank as I
looked at anything else.

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