Two other policemen came up.
'Do you want to give that woman in charge, Mr. Falconer?' asked one
of them.
'I give that man in charge,' cried his late antagonist, who had just
scrambled to his feet. 'Assaulting the police in discharge of their
duty.'
'Very well,' said the other. 'But you're in the wrong box, and that
you'll find. You had better come along to the station, sir.'
'Keep that fellow from getting hold of the woman--you two, and we'll
go together,' said Falconer.
Bewildered with the rapid sequence of events, I was following in the
crowd. Falconer looked about till he saw me, and gave me a nod
which meant come along. Before we reached Bow Street. however, the
offending policeman, who had been walking a little behind in
conversation with one of the others, advanced to Falconer, touched
his hat, and said something, to which Falconer replied.
'Remember, I have my eye upon you,' was all I heard, however, as he
left the crowd and rejoined me. We turned and walked eastward
again.
The storm kept on intermittently, but the streets were rather more
crowded than usual notwithstanding.
'Look at that man in the woollen jacket,' said Falconer. 'What a
beautiful outline of face! There must be something noble in that
man.'
'I did not see him,' I answered, 'I was taken up with a woman's
face, like that of a beautiful corpse. It's eyes were bright.
There was gin in its brain.'
The streets swarmed with human faces gleaming past.
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