an apartment, unlighted, except for the Moonshine, which, coming
in through a partly open shutter, lay in a brilliant patch of
light upon the floor.

His conductor having struck a light with a flint and steel, our
hero by the illumination of a single candle presently discovered
himself to be in a bedchamber furnished with no small degree of
comfort, and even elegance, and having every appearance of a
bachelor's chamber.

"You will pardon me," said his new acquaintance, "if I shut these
shutters and the window, for that devilish fever of which I spoke
is of such a sort that I must keep the night air even out from my
room, or else I shall be shaking the bones out of my joints and
chattering the teeth out of my head by to-morrow morning."

So saying he was as good as his word, and not only drew the
shutters to, but shot the heavy iron bolt into its place. Having
accomplished this he bade our hero to be seated, and placing
before him some exceedingly superior rum, together with some
equally excellent tobacco, they presently fell into the
friendliest discourse imaginable. In the course of their talk,
which after awhile became exceedingly confidential, Jonathan
confided to his new friend the circumstances of the adventure
into which he had been led by the beautiful stranger, and to all
that he said concerning his adventure his interlocutor listened
with the closest and most scrupulously riveted attention.

"Upon my word," said he, when Jonathan had concluded, "I hope
that you may not have been made the victim of some foolish hoax.