baseness, piqued by the cowardice of his comrade, gave a lusty kick at
the closed door, and shouted out: "Old grave-stealer, come out, and let
me finish your picture. Out, out! I say, out!" Grabman left the candle
on the steps, and made but three bounds to his own room.

At the third shout of his disturber the resurrection-man threw open his
door violently and appeared at the gap, the upward flare of the candle
showing the deep lines ploughed in his hideous face, and the immense
strength of his gigantic trunk and limbs. Slight, fair, and delicate as
he was, Varney eyed him deliberately, and trembled not.

"What do you want with me?" said the terrible voice, tremulous with rage.

"Only to finish your portrait as Pluto. He was the god of Hell, you
know."

The next moment the vast hand of the ogre hung like a great cloud over
Gabriel Varney. This last, ever on his guard, sprang aside, and the
light gleamed on the steel of a pistol. "Hands off! Or--"

The click of the pistol-cock finished the sentence. The ruffian halted.
A glare of disappointed fury gave a momentary lustre to his dull eyes.
"P'r'aps I shall meet you again one o' these days, or nights, and I shall
know ye in ten thousand."

"Nothing like a bird in the hand, Master Grave-stealer. Where can we
ever meet again?"

"P'r'aps in the fields, p'r'aps on the road, p'r'aps at the Old Bailey,
p'r'aps at the gallows, p'r'aps in the convict-ship. I knows what that