His examination of the man's eyes had evidently satisfied him
that our acquaintance had really been smoking opium.
We paused immediately outside the house for which we had been
bound, and as I had the key I opened the door and the three of us
stepped into a little dark room. Harley closed the door and we
stumbled upstairs to a low first-floor apartment facing the
street. There was nothing in its appointments, as revealed in
the light of an oil lamp burning on the solitary table, to
distinguish it from a thousand other such apartments which may be
leased for a few shillings a week in the neighbourhood. That
adjoining might have told a different story, for it more closely
resembled an actor's dressing-room than a seaman's lodging; but
the door of this sanctum was kept scrupulously locked.
"Sit down, old son," said my friend heartily, pushing forward an
old arm-chair. "Fetch out the grog, Jim; there's about enough
for three."
I walked to a cupboard, as the fireman sank limply down in the
chair, and took out a bottle and three glasses. When the man,
who, as I could now see quite plainly, was suffering from the
after effects of opium, had eagerly gulped the stiff drink which
I handed to him, he looked around with dim, glazed eyes, and:
"You've saved my life, mates," he declared.
Pages:
138
139
140
141
142
143
144
145
146
147
148
149
150
151
152
153
154
155
156
157
158
159
160
161
162