"I understand you, sir. You are in bad health, which makes you nervous."
"Yes—yes. Heaven forgive me, but if you, Mr. Jailer, and the good lady here will keep within call, in case of accidents, I don't mind if I do remain and exhort these men, for a short time," said the old man.
"Of course we will. Come, Mrs. Condiment, mum! There's a good bench in the lobby and I'll send for my old woman and we three can have a good talk while the worthy Mr. Gray is speaking to the prisoners," said the warden, conducting the housekeeper from the cell.
As soon as they had gone the old man went to the door and peeped after them, and having seen that they went to the extremity of the lobby to a seat under an open window, he turned back to the cell, and, going up to Hal, said in a low, voice:
"Now, then, is it possible that you do not know me?"
Hal stopped twiddling his fingers and looked up at the tall, thin, stooping figure, the gray hair, the white eyebrows and the pale face, and said gruffly:
"No! May the demon fly away with me if I ever saw you before!"
"Nor you, Dick?" inquired the old man, in a mild voice, turning to the one addressed.
"No, burn you, nor want to see you now!"
"Steve! Steve!" said the old man, in a pitiful voice, waking the sleeper. "Don't you know me, either?"