"So, do you want it already?" said the same voice he had before heard.
"Oh no—mercy! mercy!" said Tobias.
"Oh, that's it now, is it? I tell you what it is, if we have any disturbance here, this is the persuader to silence that we always use: what do you think of that for an argument, eh?"
As he spoke, the man gave the whip a loud smack in the air, and confirmed the truth of the argument, by inducing poor Tobias to absolute silence; indeed the boy trembled so that he could not speak.
"Well, now, my man," added the fellow, "I think we understand each other. What do you want?"
"Oh, let me go," said Tobias, "let me go. I will tell nothing. Say to Mr. Todd that I will do what he pleases, and tell nothing, only let me go out of this dreadful place. Have mercy upon me—I am not at all mad—indeed I am not."
The man closed the door, as he whistled a lively tune.
CHAPTER XXVI.
THE MADHOUSE YARD, AND TOBIAS'S NEW FRIEND.
This sudden retreat of the man was unexpected by Tobias, who at least thought it was the practice to feed people, even if they were confined to such a place; but the unceremonious departure of the keeper, without so much as mentioning anything about breakfast, began to make Tobias think that the plan by which he was to be got rid of was starvation; and yet that was impossible, for how easy it was to kill him if they felt so disposed.
"Oh, no, no," he repeated to himself, "surely they will not starve me to death."