Tales of Terror and Mystery
The New Catacomb
Youknowwelookuponamanwhokissesandtellsasthegreatestcowardandvillainpossible."
"Certainly,"saidtheGerman,gatheringuphisbasketofcuriosities,"whenhetellsanythingaboutagirlwhichispreviouslyunknownhemustbeso.Butinthiscase,asyoumustbeaware,itwasapublicmatterwhichwasthecommontalkofRome,sothatyouarenotreallydoingMissMarySaundersonanyinjurybydiscussinghercasewithme.Butstill,Irespectyourscruples;andsogoodnight!"
"Waitabit,Burger,"saidKennedy,layinghishandupontheother’sarm;"Iamverykeenuponthiscatacombbusiness,andIcan’tletitdropquitesoeasily.Wouldyoumindaskingmesomethingelseinreturn—somethingnotquitesoeccentricthistime?"
"No,no;youhaverefused,andthereisanendofit,"saidBurger,withhisbasketonhisarm."Nodoubtyouarequiterightnottoanswer,andnodoubtIamquiterightalso—andsoagain,mydearKennedy,goodnight!"
TheEnglishmanwatchedBurgercrosstheroom,andhehadhishandonthehandleofthedoorbeforehishostsprangupwiththeairofamanwhoismakingthebestofthatwhichcannotbehelped.
"Holdon,oldfellow,"saidhe;"Ithinkyouarebehavinginamostridiculousfashion;butstill;ifthisisyourcondition,IsupposethatImustsubmittoit.Ihatesayinganythingaboutagirl,but,asyousay,itisalloverRome,andIdon’tsupposeIcantellyouanythingwhichyoudonotknowalready.Whatwasityouwantedtoknow?"
TheGermancamebacktothestove,and,layingdownhisbasket,hesankintohischaironcemore.