Whilst these occurrences were passing within the walls Grim's curiosity
was in prodigious exercise without. His anxiety increased in a compound
ratio with the time elapsed, and inversely as the hope of intelligence
was decreasing. Every spare moment his eye was directed towards the
hall; but no tidings came, no scout, no messenger from the scene of
action, from whom the slightest inkling of the result could be gathered.
It seemed as though all intercourse had ceased, all transit and
communication were cut off. It was mighty strange! some rare doings were
afloat, no doubt, and not a soul would remember honest Grim in his
thrall. He tied and untied his apron, beat the iron when it was cool,
and let it cool when it was hot. "It will be noon presently." He looked
at the sun; it seemed to have crept backward for the last half-hour: at
any rate, he was morally certain that useful appendage to this great and
troublesome world had stood still, if not retrograded. The mendicants
were all gone--no tidings to be gained from them--matters were more than
usually contrary and provoking--and if it had not been for some recent
disgrace which his prying disposition had occasioned at the hall, he
would long ago have satisfied himself by a personal inquiry into the
present posture of affairs.
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