Tales of Terror and Mystery
The Man with the Watches
MacCoyhadagreatastrakhancollardrawnup,sothatonlyhiseyesandnosewereshowing.Mybrotherwasdressedlikeawoman,withablackveilhalfdownhisface,butofcourseitdidnotdeceivemeforaninstant,norwouldithavedonesoevenifIhadnotknownthathehadoftenusedsuchadressbefore.Istartedup,andasIdidsoMacCoyrecognizedme.Hesaidsomething,theconductorslammedthedoor,andtheywereshownintothenextcompartment.Itriedtostopthetrainsoastofollowthem,butthewheelswerealreadymoving,anditwastoolate.
"WhenwestoppedatWillesden,Iinstantlychangedmycarriage.ItappearsthatIwasnotseentodoso,whichisnotsurprising,asthestationwascrowdedwithpeople.MacCoy,ofcourse,wasexpectingme,andhehadspentthetimebetweenEustonandWillesdeninsayingallhecouldtohardenmybrother’sheartandsethimagainstme.ThatiswhatIfancy,forIhadneverfoundhimsoimpossibletosoftenortomove.ItriedthiswayandItriedthat;IpicturedhisfutureinanEnglishgaol;IdescribedthesorrowofhismotherwhenIcamebackwiththenews;Isaideverythingtotouchhisheart,butalltonopurpose.Hesattherewithafixedsneeruponhishandsomeface,whileeverynowandthenSparrowMacCoywouldthrowinatauntatme,orsomewordofencouragementtoholdmybrothertohisresolutions.
"’Whydon’tyourunaSunday-school?’hewouldsaytome,andthen,inthesamebreath:’Hethinksyouhavenowillofyourown.Hethinksyouarejustthebabybrotherandthathecanleadyouwherehelikes.
