CHAPTER XLVI. THE APPOINTMENT KEPT

Thechurchclockschimedthreequarterspasteleven,astwofiguresemergedonLondonBridge.One,whichadvancedwithaswiftandrapidstep,wasthatofawomanwholookedeagerlyaboutherasthoughinquestofsomeexpectedobjecttheotherfigurewasthatofaman,whoslunkalonginthedeepestshadowhecouldfind,and,atsomedistance,accommodatedhispacetohers:stoppingwhenshestopped:andasshemovedagain,creepingstealthilyon:butneverallowinghimself,intheardourofhispursuit,togainuponherfootsteps.Thus,theycrossedthebridge,fromtheMiddlesextotheSurreyshore,whenthewoman,apparentlydisappointedinheranxiousscrutinyofthefoot-passengers,turnedback.Themovementwassuddenbuthewhowatchedher,wasnotthrownoffhisguardbyitfor,shrinkingintooneoftherecesseswhichsurmountthepiersofthebridge,andleaningovertheparapetthebettertoconcealhisfigure,hesufferedhertopassontheoppositepavement.Whenshewasaboutthesamedistanceinadvanceasshehadbeenbefore,heslippedquietlydown,andfollowedheragain.Atnearlythecentreofthebridge,shestopped.Themanstoppedtoo. Itwasaverydarknight.Thedayhadbeenunfavourable,andatthathourandplacetherewerefewpeoplestirring.Suchastherewere,hurriedquicklypast:verypossiblywithoutseeing,butcertainlywithoutnoticing,eitherthewoman,orthemanwhokeptherinview.TheirappearancewasnotcalculatedtoattracttheimportunateregardsofsuchofLondon’sdestitutepopulation,aschancedtotaketheirwayoverthebridgethatnightinsearchofsomecoldarchordoorlesshovelwhereintolaytheirheadstheystoodthereinsilence:neitherspeakingnorspokento,byanyonewhopassed. Amisthungovertheriver,deepeningtheredglareofthefiresthatburntuponthesmallcraftmooredoffthedifferentwharfs,andrenderingdarkerandmoreindistinctthemurkybuildingsonthebanks.Theoldsmoke-stainedstorehousesoneitherside,roseheavyanddullfromthedensemassofroofsandgables,andfrownedsternlyuponwatertooblacktoreflecteventheirlumberingshapes.ThetowerofoldSaintSaviour’sChurch,andthespireofSaintMagnus,solongthegiant-wardersoftheancientbridge,werevisibleinthegloombuttheforestofshippingbelowbridge,andthethicklyscatteredspiresofchurchesabove,werenearlyallhiddenfromsight. Thegirlhadtakenafewrestlessturnstoandfro—closelywatchedmeanwhilebyherhiddenobserver—whentheheavybellofSt.Paul’stolledforthedeathofanotherday.Midnighthadcomeuponthecrowdedcity.Thepalace,thenight-cellar,thejail,themadhouse:thechambersofbirthanddeath,ofhealthandsickness,therigidfaceofthecorpseandthecalmsleepofthechild:midnightwasuponthemall. Thehourhadnotstrucktwominutes,whenayounglady,accompaniedbyagrey-hairedgentleman,alightedfromahackney-carriagewithinashortdistanceofthebridge,and,havingdismissedthevehicle,walkedstraighttowardsit.Theyhadscarcelysetfootuponitspavement,whenthegirlstarted,andimmediatelymadetowardsthem. Theywalkedonward,lookingaboutthemwiththeairofpersonswhoentertainedsomeveryslightexpectationwhichhadlittlechanceofbeingrealised,whentheyweresuddenlyjoinedbythisnewassociate.Theyhaltedwithanexclamationofsurprise,butsuppresseditimmediatelyforamaninthegarmentsofacountrymancamecloseup—brushedagainstthem,indeed—atthatprecisemoment. “Nothere,”saidNancyhurriedly,“Iamafraidtospeaktoyouhere.Comeaway—outofthepublicroad—downthestepsyonder!” Assheutteredthesewords,andindicated,withherhand,thedirectioninwhichshewishedthemtoproceed,thecountrymanlookedround,androughlyaskingwhattheytookupthewholepavementfor,pas