The first thing he did was to whip
off his entire tweed suit and turn it inside out; he had had it made on
purpose; it was a thin tweed, doubled with black kerseymere, so that this
change was a downright transformation. Then he substituted a black tie
for a colored one, whipped out a little mirror and his hare's-foot, etc.,
browned and colored his cheek, put on an admirable gray wig, whiskers,
mustache, and beard, and partly whitened his eyebrows, and hobbled feebly
out of the little wood an infirm old man. Presently he caught sight of
his gold ring. "Ah!" said he, "she is a sharp girl; perhaps she noticed
that in the struggle?" He took it off and was going to put it in his
pocket, but thought better of that, and chucked it into a ditch. Then he
made for the village. The pursuers hunted about the house and, of course,
didn't find him; but presently one of them saw him crossing a meadow not
far off, so they ran toward him and hailed him.
"Hy! mister!"
He went feebly on, and did not seem to hear; then they hailed him again
and ran toward him; then he turned and stopped, and seeing men running
toward him, took out a large pair of round spectacles, and put them on to
look at them.
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