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- 8941
- extracted_at
- 2026-01-30T20:48:14.842Z
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- start_line
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- text
- very morning. I asked him why he had gone to that unnecessary expense,
when he had plenty of other clothes in his chest. But he only winked,
and looked knowing. This, again, I did not like. But I strove to drown
ugly thoughts.
Till quite dark, we sat talking together; when, locking his chest, and
charging his landlady to look after it well, till he called, or sent
for it; Harry seized my arm, and we sallied into the street.
Pursuing our way through crowds of frolicking sailors and fiddlers, we
turned into a street leading to the Exchange. There, under the shadow
of the colonnade, Harry told me to stop, while he left me, and went to
finish his toilet. Wondering what he meant, I stood to one side; and
presently was joined by a stranger in whiskers and mustache.
“It’s _me”_ said the stranger; and who was _me_ but Harry, who had thus
metamorphosed himself? I asked him the reason; and in a faltering
voice, which I tried to make humorous, expressed a hope that he was not
going to turn gentleman forger.
He laughed, and assured me that it was only a precaution against being
recognized by his own particular friends in London, that he had adopted
this mode of disguising himself.
“And why afraid of your friends?” asked I, in astonishment, “and we are
not in London yet.”
“Pshaw! what a Yankee you are, Wellingborough. Can’t you see very
plainly that I have a plan in my head? And this disguise is only for a
short time, you know. But I’ll tell you all by and by.”
I acquiesced, though not feeling at ease; and we walked on, till we
came to a public house, in the vicinity of the place at which the cars
are taken.
We stopped there that night, and next day were off, whirled along
through boundless landscapes of villages, and meadows, and parks: and
over arching viaducts, and through wonderful tunnels; till, half
delirious with excitement, I found myself dropped down in the evening
among gas-lights, under a great roof in Euston Square.
London at last, and in the West-End!
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