make it harder for each other than we must," he said, with bluff good
nature. And then: "Will you lead the way to your room, sir?"--this to
give the youngling cub another lesson, I suppose.

I walked beside him to the stair, and when I stumbled, being weak and
spent, he took my arm and steadied me, and I did think it kindly done.
At my own door he gave me precedence again, saying, with a touch of the
grateful Old World courtesy, "After you, sir," and standing aside to let
me enter first. When we were both within he touched upon the colonel's
mandate.

"I must obey my orders, Captain Ireton, but by your good leave I shall
not lock you up with any trooper; I'll stay with you myself."

I thought this still more kindly than aught he had done before, and so I
told him. But he put it off lightly.

"'Tis little enough any one can do for you, my friend, but I will do
that little as I can. You are like to have a visitor, I take it; if you
have, I'm sure 'twill be a comfort if your body-guard can be stone
blind and deaf."

So saying, he dragged the big wicker chair into the window-bay, planted
himself deep within it with his back to all the room, and so left me to
my own devices.

Being spent enough to sleep beneath the shadow of a gibbet, I threw
myself full-length upon the bed and was, I think, adrift upon the ebb
tide of exhaustion and forgetfulness when once again the shifting of the
wooden door-bar roused me. I rose up quickly, but Tybee was before me.