I found that it was your uncle's late valet, Morgan, and
a policeman (I think a sham policeman), and they said they had a
warrant to take the person of John Armstrong, alias Amory, alias
Altamont, a runaway convict, and threatened to break in the oak. Now,
sir, in my own days of captivity I had discovered a little passage
along the gutter into Bows and Costigan's window, and I sent Jack
Alias along this covered way, not without terror of his life, for it
had grown very cranky; and then, after a parley, let in Mons. Morgan
and friend.
"The rascal had been instructed about that covered way, for he made
for the room instantly, telling the policeman to go down stairs and
keep the gate; and he charged up my little staircase as if he had
known, the premises. As he was going out of the window we heard a
voice that you know, from Bow's garret, saying, 'Who are ye, and hwhat
the divvle are ye at? You'd betther leave the gutther; bedad there's a
man killed himself already.'
"And as Morgan, crossing over and looking into the darkness, was
trying to see whether this awful news was true, he took a broom-stick,
and with a vigorous dash broke down the pipe of communication--and
told me this morning, with great glee, that he was reminded of that
'aisy sthratagem by remembering his dorling Emilie, when she acted the
pawrt of Cora in the Plee--and by the bridge in Pezawro, bedad: I wish
that scoundrel Morgan had been on the bridge when the general tried
his 'sthratagem.
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