Captain Rogers by W.W. Jacobs

A man came slowly over the old stone bridge, and averting his gaze from / the dark river with its silent craft, looked with some satisfaction / toward the feeble lights of the small town on the other side. He walked / with the painful, forced step of one who has already trudged far. His / worsted hose, where they were not darned, were in holes, and his coat and / knee-breeches were rusty with much wear, but he straightened himself as / he reached the end of the bridge and stepped out bravely to the taverns / which stood in a row facing the quay.

He passed the "Queen Anne" -- a mere beershop -- without pausing, and after a / glance apiece at the "Royal George" and the "Trusty Anchor," kept on his / way to where the "Golden Key" hung out a gilded emblem. It was the best / house in Riverstone, and patronized by the gentry, but he adjusted his / faded coat, and with a swaggering air entered and walked boldly into the / coffee-room.

The room was empty, but a bright fire afforded a pleasant change to the / chill October air outside. He drew up a chair, and placing his feet on / the fender, exposed his tattered soles to the blaze, as a waiter who had / just seen him enter the room came and stood aggressively inside the door.

"Brandy and water," said the stranger; "hot."

"The coffee-room is for gentlemen staying in the house," said the waiter.

The stranger took his feet from the fender, and rising slowly, walked / toward him. He was a short man and thin, but there was something so / menacing in his attitude, and something so fearsome in his stony brown / eyes, that the other, despite his disgust for ill-dressed people, moved / back uneasily.

"Brandy and water, hot," repeated the stranger; "and plenty of it. D'ye / hear?"

The man turned slowly to depart.

"Stop! " said the other, imperiously. "What's the name of the landlord / here?"

"Mullet," said the fellow, sulkily.

"Send him to me," said the other, resuming his seat; "and hark you, my / friend, more civility, or 'twill be the worse for you."

He stirred the log on the fire with his foot until a shower of sparks / whirled up the chimney. The door opened, and the landlord, with the / waiter behind him, entered the room, but he still gazed placidly at the / glowing embers.

"What do you want? " demanded the landlord, in a deep voice.

The stranger turned a little weazened yellow face and grinned at him / familiarly.

"Send that fat rascal of yours away," he said, slowly.

The landlord started at his voice and eyed him closely; then he signed to / the man to withdraw, and closing the door behind him, stood silently / watching his visitor.

"You didn't expect to see me, Rogers," said the latter.

"My name's Mullet," said the other, sternly. "What do you want?"

"Oh, Mullet? " said the other, in surprise. "I'm afraid I've made a / mistake, then. I thought you were my old shipmate, Captain Rogers. It's / a foolish mistake of mine, as I've no doubt Rogers was hanged years ago. / You never had a brother named Rogers, did you?"

"I say again, what do you want? " demanded the other, advancing upon him.