Mr. Lock, perceiving that Mr. Tridge’s nerves were not yet keyed to appreciation of personal badinage, now endeavoured to rally him by narrating to him a number of droll anecdotes, all of which Mr. Tridge received in stony silence. Mr. Lock was still indefatigably endeavouring to cheer his principal when the stout and venerable Mr. Samuel Clark made his appearance.
Mr. Clark essayed no levity of conversation. On the contrary, he crossed in silence to Mr. Tridge and gravely clasped his hand. This done, he patted Mr. Tridge on the shoulder with deep sympathy, shook his hand again, and then sat down with a long, deep sigh.
“Cheerful, you are!” growled Mr. Tridge. “What do you think you’ve come to—a fooneral?”
“Oh, no; not yet—not yet, Joe!” Mr. Clark made haste to reply. “But I must say I ’ad a most hextryordinary dream about you to-day. Most hextryordinary! I dreamed you was killed in this ’ere fight. Funny thing I should dream that, wasn’t it?”
“Funny?” fulminated Mr. Tridge.
“Anyway,” interposed Mr. Lock, “dreams always goes by contraries. It’ll be the other chap what’ll—”
“In my dream,” said Mr. Clark, “the other chap was so overcome by ’orror that ’e ’anged ’isself. So there you are—take your choice!”
For some moments Mr. Tridge sat apparently considering the selection. Then suddenly he rose and looked sadly in the mirror, and next he went slowly round the room, gazing at every article as though in tender farewell. Finally, shaking his head, he passed out of the apartment, and, followed by Mr. Clark and Mr. Lock, made his way to the “Rose and Crown.”
Here he found Mr. Dobb, who professed keen relief at sight of him, and forthwith conducted him to a dressing-room attached to the arena. Mr. Lock now offered to his principal much sage advice with regard to the coming contest; but Mr. Tridge was too occupied in his own mournful meditations to give useful heed.
“What—not dressed yet?” asked Horace, in surprise, entering the cubicle presently. “Why, you’ll be late! The ’all’s packed to overflowing, and there’s three chaps fell through the skylight already!”