"Hush, sir! hush!" he said. "You forget yourself, and who you are speaking to. Call not down in words those curses which I trust that your present and your future actions may avert, however much the past may have merited them. In regard to your proposal--in the first place, I am not a thief-taker; and consequently the task does not become me. In the next place, by the plan you suggest, the great object I have in view is likely to be defeated--I mean the bringing these men to justice, in order to clear Captain Delaware. Suppose, for instance, that by any accident we should be overpowered by them, we lose his only hope; and even if we overpower them, having no legal authority to do so, any one who happens to be near may give them such aid and assistance as will enable them to escape, and foil us entirely."
"I will tell you what sir," said the young man, sullenly; "I'll go some length, but I will not go all. To prevent them getting away any how, you may put the police round the house, if you like--but only you and I shall go in upon them; for I will not take odds against them any how; and if you are afraid to go, why--"
"I am not afraid to do any thing, sir!" replied Beauchamp. "And though it is not at all necessary, and though perhaps it may be foolish of me to do it--yet, rather than loose any evidence in favor of Captain Delaware, I will do what you propose; that is to say, I will go in with you alone, in order to master these two men, if we can: but it shall be on condition that the agents of the police be stationed round the house, in such a manner as to prevent their escape, whether we succeed or fail."
"That is what I say," replied the young sailor. "Let us have a bout with them, two to two fairly; and then, if they kill us, why, there will be still men around the house to take them."
"I had forgot," answered Beauchamp, "that, as you say, we may be both killed in this business; and if you should be killed, pray, what evidence is there to convict either of these men! If you really intend to do what you have promised, it will behove you to make a full and complete declaration of the whole facts, and sign them before two or three persons, previous to entering upon this undertaking."
Walter Harrison paused and thought, and Beauchamp urged him strongly to take the precaution he proposed; but he did not succeed. "No," said the young sailor, at length; "No! I will put it all down in my own handwriting, which can be well enough proved by the ship's books, and I will sign it with my name, and I'll give it to you to-morrow night; but I'll not go it all over again before any one else, till I tell it all for the last time--there, don't say any more; for I won't do it--I don't like this police business either; but I suppose it must be done--so, now I will go. You will find me, to-morrow night, at ten o'clock, opposite that jeweler's shop. I will not fail you, upon my honor;" and so saying, he walked toward the door. Ere he had reached it, however, he turned, and coming nearer, he said, "Mr. Burrel, I trust to your honor, that when you have got me there with the police, you will not let them go into the house with us--mind, two to two is fair play. He shall never say that I brought odds against him!"
"I have given you my word," said Beauchamp, "and I will certainly keep it."
"Well, then, good night, sir!" replied the young man, and opening the door, he passed out into the ante-room; but ere he had taken two steps beyond the threshold, he again returned to bid Beauchamp bring his pistols with him. "He always has his in his pockets," he said, "so it would be unfair that you should be without."
"I will take care to come prepared," replied Beauchamp, and his visitor once more left the room. He paused a moment in the ante-room, and hesitated as if he had something more to say, but the instant after he quitted the apartments, and was heard descending the stairs with a rapid step.