‘Well?’
‘What shall we do?’
‘Do you ask me what you shall do while you have the use of your hands? It won’t do to make a noise, so I should say that the only thing open to you to do is to throttle any one who should appear.’
‘Throttle!’
‘Yes, and why not? Pray what business have the people opposite to interfere in my affairs, I should like to know?’
‘Well, certainly—but—but—’
‘Do you hesitate?’
‘No—no. Don’t be in a passion, captain. If it must be done, why, it is no use saying anything more about it, and it just will be done.’
‘I should imagine so.’
The two men who had been thus ordered over the way by Blodget went upon their errand; and although it is true they had at first rather started at the idea of throttling somebody who might be so very interfering and imprudent as to come from the opposite house, it is yet difficult to say whether after all, this admonition of Blodget was not very greatly increased by the off-hand manner in which he proposed to get rid of obstacles to the progress of the particular little enterprise upon which he was.