his　next；　to　cover　his　face　with　his　hands。　　So　he　sat；　while
  the　cabman　toasted　the　publican；　and　the　publican　toasted　the
  cabman；　and　both　reviewed　the　affairs　of　the　nation；　so　he
  still　sat；　when　his　master　condescended　to　return；　and　drive
  off　at　last　down…hill；　along　the　curve　of　Lynedoch　Place；　but
  even　so　sitting；　as　he　passed　the　end　of　his　father's　street；
  he　took　one　glance　from　between　shielding　fingers；　and　beheld
  a　doctor's　carriage　at　the　door。
  'Well；　just　so；'　thought　he；　'I'll　have　killed　my　father！
  And　this　is　Christmas…day！'
  If　Mr。　Nicholson　died；　it　was　down　this　same　road　he　must
  journey　to　the　grave；　and　down　this　road；　on　the　same　errand；
  his　wife　had　preceded　him　years　before；　and　many　other
  leading　citizens；　with　the　proper　trappings　and　attendance　of
  the　end。　　And　now；　in　that　frosty；　ill…smelling；　straw…
  carpeted；　and　ragged…cushioned　cab；　with　his　breath
  congealing　on　the　glasses；　where　else　was　John　himself
  advancing　to？
  The　thought　stirred　his　imagination；　which　began　to
  manufacture　many　thousand　pictures；　bright　and　fleeting；　like
  the　shapes　in　a　kaleidoscope；　and　now　he　saw　himself；　ruddy
  and　comfortered；　sliding　in　the　gutter；　and；　again；　a　little
  woe…begone；　bored　urchin　tricked　forth　in　crape　and　weepers；
  descending　this　same　hill　at　the　foot's　pace　of　mourning
  coaches；　his　mother's　body　just　preceding　him；　and　yet　again；
  his　fancy；　running　far　in　front；　showed　him　his　destination　…
  now　standing　solitary　in　the　low　sunshine；　with　the　sparrows
  hopping　on　the　threshold　and　the　dead　man　within　staring　at
  the　roof　…　and　now；　with　a　sudden　change；　thronged　about　with
  white…faced；　hand…uplifting　neighbours；　and　doctor　bursting
  through　their　midst　and　fixing　his　stethoscope　as　he　went；
  the　policeman　shaking　a　sagacious　head　beside　the　body。　　It
  was　to　this　he　feared　that　he　was　driving；　in　the　midst　of
  this　he　saw　himself　arrive；　heard　himself　stammer　faint
  explanations；　and　felt　the　hand　of　the　constable　upon　his
  shoulder。　　Heavens！　how　he　wished　he　had　played　the　manlier
  part；　how　he　despised　himself　that　he　had　fled　that　fatal
  neighbourhood　when　all　was　quiet；　and　should　now　be　tamely
  travelling　back　when　it　was　thronging　with　avengers！
  Any　strong　degree　of　passion　lends；　even　to　the　dullest；　the
  forces　of　the　imagination。　　And　so　now　as　he　dwelt　on　what
  was　probably　awaiting　him　at　the　end　of　this　distressful
  drive　…　John；　who　saw　things　little；　remembered　them　less；
  and　could　not　have　described　them　at　all；　beheld　in　his
  mind's…eye　the　garden　of　the　Lodge；　detailed　as　in　a　map；　he
  went　to　and　fro　in　it；　feeding　his　terrors；　he　saw　the
  hollies；　the　snowy　borders；　the　paths　where　he　had　sought
  Alan；　the　high；　conventual　walls；　the　shut　door　…　what！　was
  the　door　shut？　　Ay；　truly；　he　had　shut　it　…　shut　in　his
  money；　his　escape；　his　future　life　…　shut　it　with　these
  hands；　and　none　could　now　open　it！　　He　heard　the　snap　of　the
  spring…lock　like　something　bursting　in　his　brain；　and　sat
  astonied。
  And　then　he　woke　again；　terror　jarring　through　his　vitals。
  This　was　no　time　to　be　idle；　he　must　be　up　and　doing；　he　must
  think。　　Once　at　the　end　of　this　ridiculous　cruise；　once　at
  the　Lodge　door；　there　would　be　nothing　for　it　but　to　turn　the
  cab　and　trundle　back　again。　　Why；　then；　go　so　far？　why　add
  another　feature　of　suspicion　to　a　case　already　so　suggestive？
  why　not　turn　at　once？　　It　was　easy　to　say；　turn；　but　whither？
  He　had　nowhere　now　to　go　to；　he　could　never　…　he　saw　it　in
  letters　of　blood　…　he　could　never　pay　that　cab；　he　was
  saddled　with　that　cab　for　ever。　　Oh　that　cab！　his　soul
  yearned　and　burned；　and　his　bowels　sounded　to　be　rid　of　it。
  He　forgot　all　other　cares。　　He　must　first　quit　himself　of
  this　ill…smelling　vehicle　and　of　the　human　beast　that　guided
  it　…　first　do　that；　do　that；　at　least；　do　that　at　once。
  And　just　then　the　cab　suddenly　stopped；　and　there　was　his
  persecutor　rapping　on　the　front　glass。　　John　let　it　down；　and
  beheld　the　port…wine　countenance　inflamed　with　intellectual
  triumph。
  'I　ken　wha　ye　are！'　cried　the　husky　voice。　　'I　mind　ye　now。
  Ye're　a　Nucholson。　　I　drove　ye　to　Hermiston　to　a　Christmas
  party；　and　ye　came　back　on　the　box；　and　I　let　ye　drive。'
  It　is　a　fact。　　John　knew　the　man；　they　had　been　even　friends。
  His　enemy；　he　now　remembered；　was　a　fellow　of　great　good
  nature　…　endless　good　nature　…　with　a　boy；　why　not　with　a
  man？　　Why　not　appeal　to　his　better　side？　　He　grasped　at　the
  new　hope。
  'Great　Scott！　and　so　you　did；'　he　cried；　as　if　in　a　transport
  of　delight；　his　voice　sounding　false　in　his　own　ears。　　'Well；
  if　that's　so；　I've　something　to　say　to　you。　　I'll　just　get
  out；　I　guess。　　Where　are　we；　any　way？'
  The　driver　had　fluttered　his　ticket　in　the　eyes　of　the
  branch…toll　keeper；　and　they　were　now　brought　to　on　the
  highest　and　most　solitary　part　of　the　by…road。　　On　the　left；
  a　row　of　fieldside　trees　beshaded　it；　on　the　right；　it　was
  bordered　by　naked　fallows；　undulating　down…hill　to　the
  Queensferry　Road；　in　front；　Corstorphine　Hill　raised　its
  snow…bedabbled；　darkling　woods　against　the　sky。　　John　looked
  all　about　him；　drinking　the　clear　air　like　wine；　then　his
  eyes　returned　to　the　cabman's　face　as　he　sat；　not
  ungleefully；　awaiting　John's　communication；　with　the　air　of
  one　looking　to　be　tipped。
  The　features　of　that　face　were　hard　to　read；　drink　had　so
  swollen　them；　drink　had　so　painted　them；　in　tints　that　varied
  from　brick…red　to　mulberry。　　The　small　grey　eyes　blinked；　the
  lips　moved；　with　greed；　greed　was　the　ruling　passion；　and
  though　there　was　some　good　nature；　some　genuine　kindliness；　a
  true　human　touch；　in　the　old　toper；　his　greed　was　now　so　set
  afire　by　hope；　that　all　other　traits　of　character　lay
  dormant。　　He　sat　there　a　monument　of　gluttonous　desire。
  John's　heart　slowly　fell。　　He　had　opened　his　lips；　but　he
  stood　there　and　uttered　nought。　　He　sounded　the　well　of　his
  courage；　and　it　was　dry。　　He　groped　in　his　treasury　of　words；
  and　it　was　vacant。　　A　devil　of　dumbness　had　him　by　the
  throat；　the　devil　of　terror　babbled　in　his　ears；　and
  suddenly；　without　a　word　uttered；　with　no　conscious　purpose
  formed　in　his　will；　John　whipped　about；　tumbled　over　the
  roadside　wall；　and　began　running　for　his　life　across　the
  fallows。
  He　had　not　gone　far；　he　was　not　past　the　midst　of　the　first
  afield；　when　his　whole　brain　thundered　within　him；　'Fool！
  You　have　your　watch！'　　The　shock　stopped　him；　and　he　faced
  once　more　toward　the　cab。　　The　driver　was　leaning　over　the
  wall；　brandishing　his　whip；　his　face　empurpled；　roaring　like
  a　bull。　　And　John　saw　（or　thought）　that　he　had　lost　the
  chance。　　No　watch　would　pacify　the　man's　resentment　now；　he
  would　cry　for　vengeance　also。　　John　would　be　had　under　the
  eye　of　the　police；　his　tale　would　be　unfolded；　his　secret
  plumbed；　his　destiny　would　close　on　him　at　last；　and　for
  ever。
  He　uttered　a　deep　sigh；　and　just　as　the　cabman；　taking　heart
  of　grace；　was　beginning　at　last　to　scale　the　wall；　his
  defaulting　customer　fell　again　to　running；　and　disappeared
  into　the　further　fields。
  CHAPTER　VIII　…　SINGULAR　INSTANCE　OF　THE　UTILITY　OF　PASS…KEYS
  WHERE　he　ran　at　first；　John　never　very　clearly　knew；　nor　yet
  how　long　a　time　elapsed　ere　he　found　himself　in　the　by…road
  near　the　lodge　of　Ravelston；　propped　against　the　wall；　his
  lungs　heaving　like　bellows；　his　legs　leaden…heavy；　his　mind
  possessed　by　one　sole　desire　…　to　lie　down　and　be　unseen。　　He
  remembered　the　thick　coverts　round　the　quarry…hole　pond；　an
  untrodden　corner　of　the　world　where　he　might　surely　find
  concealment　till　the　night　should　fall。　　Thither　he　passed
  down　the　lane；　and　when　he　came　there；　behold！　he　had
  forgotten　the　frost；　and　the　pond　was　alive　with　young　people
  skating；　and　the　pond…side　coverts　were　thick　with　lookers…
  on。　　He　looked　on　a　while　himself。　　There　was　one　tall；
  graceful　maiden；　skating　hand　in　hand　with　a　youth；　on　whom
  she　bestowed　her　bright　eyes　perhaps　too　patently；　and　it　was
  strange　with　what　anger　John　beheld　her。　　He　could　have
  broken　forth　in　curses；　he　could　have　stood　there；　like　a
  mortified　tramp；　and　shaken　his　fist　and　vented　his　gall　upon
  her　by　the　hour　…　or　so　he　thought；　and　the　next　moment　his
  heart　bled　for　the　girl。　　'Poor　creature；　it's　little　she
  knows！'　he　sighed。　　'Let　her　enjoy　herself　while　she　can！'
  But　was　it　possible；　when　Flora　used　to　smile　at　him　on　the
  Braid　ponds；　she　could　have　looked　so　fulsome　to　a　sick…
  hearted　bystander？
  The　thought　of　one　quarry；　in　his　frozen　wits；　suggested
  another；　and　he　plodded　off　toward　Craigleith。　　A　wind　had
  sprung　up　out　of　the　north…west；　it　was　cruel　keen；　it　dried
  him　like　a　fire；　and　racked　his　finger…joints。　　It　brought
  clouds；　too；　pale；　swift；　hurrying　clouds；　that　blotted
  heaven　and　shed　gloom　upon　the　earth。　　He　scrambled　up　among
  the　hazelled　rubbish　heaps　that　surround　the　caldron