"Anolddevil! theolddevil, ! sir, youneedn'tlaugh, " forMalcolmsonhadbrokenintoaheartypeal.", sir! nevermind! PleaseGod, you' ' swhatIwishyoumyself!" andthegoodladybeamedalloverinsympathywithhisenjoyment, herfearsgoneforamoment.
"Oh, forgiveme!" saidMalcolmsonpresently."Don' tthinkmerude; buttheideawastoomuchforme-thattheolddevilhimselfwasonthechairlastnight!" .
Thiseveningthescamperingoftheratsbeganearlier; indeedithadbeengoingonbeforehisarrival, ; andthen, havingclearedhistable, ! Howtheysqueaked, andscratched, andgnawed! Howthey, gettingbolderbydegrees, , nowdoubtlessaccustomedtothem, theireyeswerenotwicked; , smitingthetablewithhishandorgivingafierce "Hsh, hsh, " sothattheyfledstraightwaytotheirholes.
Andsotheearlypartofthenightworeon; anddespitethenoiseMalcolmsongotmoreandmoreimmersedinhiswork.
Allatoncehestopped, asonthepreviousnight, , orscratch, , .
There, onthegreatoldhigh-backedcarvedoakchairbesidethefireplacesatthesameenormousrat, steadilyglaringathimwithbalefuleyes.
Instinctivelyhetookthenearestthingtohishand, abookoflogarithms, , soagainthepokerperformanceofthepreviousnightwasrepeated; andagaintherat, beingcloselypursued, , , asonthepreviousone, Malcolmsoncouldnotseeatwhatpartoftheroomtheratdisappeared, forthegreenshadeofhislamplefttheupperpartoftheroomindarkness, andthefirehadburnedlow.
Onlookingathiswatchhefounditwascloseonmidnight; and, notsorryforthedivertissement, , andthoughthimselfentitledtoacigarette; , , , , especiallyforsostrongarope, andonenotinuse."Youcouldhangamanwithit, " , andsaidcomplacently: "Therenow, myfriend, Ithinkweshalllearnsomethingofyouthistime!" Hebeganhisworkagain, andthoughasbeforesomewhatdisturbedatfirstbythenoiseoftherats, soonlosthimselfinhispropositionsandproblems.
; therewasaslightmovementoftherope, , helookedtoseeifhispileofbookswaswithinrange, , andtakingcarefulaim, , withaquickmovement, , andathird, andflungthemoneafteranotherattherat, , ashestoodwithabookpoisedinhishandtothrow, , , andturningonhispursueralookofterriblemalevolence, , , andsawitbythelightofthesecondlampleaptoamouldingofthewainscotanddisappearthroughaholeinoneofthegreatpictureswhichhungonthewall, obscuredandinvisiblethroughitscoatingofdirtanddust.
