The brandy-and-water that had been ordered soon made its appearance; and Todd, while perpetrating a very well-acted fit of coughing, saw one of the men just slightly wink at the other, and take a little way from his waistcoat pocket a small bottle.
"Oh!" thought Todd, "my brandy-and-water will be prepared, I see; and if I do not look sharp, these fellows will rob me of all that I have run so much risk, and took so much trouble to get out of the old house."
After a moment's thought, he rose and said—
"I will only go and pay for what I have had at the bar, and you must permit me likewise to pay for this."
"Oh, no—no!"
"Oh, yes, but I will—I will! I dare say that I have the most money, after all, for I have been very careful in my time, and saved a trifle, so you must permit me."
The two thieves were so delighted at getting rid of him for a few moments, that although they declared it was too bad, they let him go. The moment he was gone, one said to the other, with a grin—
"Bill, put a good dose into the old chap's glass. He has got a rare gold watch in his pocket, and there's a ring on his finger, that if it isn't a diamond, it's as near like one as ever I heard of. Give him a good dose."
"Well, but you know that even a few drops will settle him?"
"Never mind that. It's all right enough; pour it in."