THE ODOUR OF SANCTITY
While Toby was gone, Aunt Amanda explained to the two old men about the
Sailorman from China, and about his gift of the map which was lying on
the table. They were just at the end of their discussion when Toby
returned, bringing with him the Churchwarden, puffing and blowing with
the unusual exertion of walking, and without his pipe. Toby introduced
him to Mr. Punch and the two old Codgers, and drew him up to the table
and showed him the map, explaining at the same time how it came there.
The Churchwarden examined the map carefully, while the others all looked
at him. He finally put down the map, settled himself in a chair, folded
his hands across his fat stomach, blew out his cheeks, and said:
"My opinion is, that what we ought to do is to--I've considered the
matter carefully, from all sides, and I think we ought to--Of course you
may not agree with me, but I think the best thing to do would be
to--Unless, of course, some of you may think of something better, but if
you don't, then I can't say as there's anything better to do than
to----"
At this moment there came a sound from the street outside which made
everyone but Aunt Amanda jump to his feet. It was the sound of running
feet, mixed with strange cries, not very loud, but somehow
blood-curdling. It was evident that someone was in trouble. Freddie and
the five men rushed from the room and through the shop and into the
street.
The street was very dark, except for a gas-lamp at the opposite corner.
A white figure was running down the pavement towards the shop-door, with
frantic speed; and behind him, evidently chasing him, came a crowd of
little dark creatures, hard to make out in the dim light. It was these
creatures who were making the little blood-curdling cries. In a moment
they had come so near that the party about the shop-door could see what
they were. In front, running desperately with leaps and bounds, and
panting for breath, came a tall slim man all in tight-fitting white
clothes, with a dead white face and a white hairless head; and after
him, tumbling on pell-mell, was a perfect riot of little red imps, with
little horns on their foreheads, and little tails behind them, all
trying to spear the white man with the wicked little pitchforks which
they carried, and to seize him with their claws. Freddie thought they
were precisely like the imps he had seen at Hanlon's Superba. When the
white man reached the shop-door they had nearly caught him. He paused at
that moment, looked wildly about him, saw the open door of the shop, and
dashed in and banged the door to behind him. The imps came tumbling up
and hesitated an instant before the men at the door; and in that instant
the Churchwarden showed the most unexpected presence of mind. He quickly
reached behind him and drew a small bottle out of his pocket and pulled
out the cork and sprinkled a few drops of its contents on the ground
before him. A sharp penetrating odour immediately filled the air; it was
so intense that it made the tears come into Freddie's eyes; but what it
did to the wild mob of imps was almost beyond belief. As they got their
first whiff of it, they tumbled back over one another in a mad effort
to get away; but they could not get away from the odour quick enough; it
caught them and held them, so that in a moment they could not move; they
stood fixed and fast and silent; in another moment they began to melt
away, and in two minutes they had vanished; actually vanished where they
stood, each and every one, before the very eyes of the astonished party
before the door.
"Blimy hif I ever see the like!" said Mr. Punch.
"Never knew my Odour of Sanctity to fail once," said the Churchwarden,
coolly. "Hardly ever go out without it. There ain't a witch or an imp or
a bad spirit of any kind whatever can stand up against my Odour of
Sanctity, if he once gets a couple of good whiffs of it out of this
little bottle. Just a few drops from the bottle, and a few sniffs, and
whoof! they're done for! No, sir! there ain't no perfumery in the world
like Odour of Sanctity!"
On the floor of the shop they found the poor white man lying completely
exhausted. They asked him to explain, but he could not speak. Mr. Toby
and Mr. Punch, one on each side, supported him into the back room, and
sat him down in a chair before Aunt Amanda. She held up her hands in
astonishment. The man was certainly a strange-looking man. They plied
him with questions, but he touched his tongue with his finger and shook
his head. He could not speak; he was dumb. Freddie, after one long look
at him under the gaslight, knew who he was.
"It's Mr. Hanlon!" he cried, in great excitement. "It's Mr. Hanlon!"
The dumb man looked at Freddie and smiled, and nodded his head. He rose
to his feet, shook Freddie's hand, and made a graceful bow to the whole
company.
"It's Mr. Hanlon sure enough," said Toby, "still being chased by the
imps. Pretty near got him that time, too! But he got away safe and
sound after all, didn't he, eh?" And all the party, including Mr. Hanlon
himself, laughed with delight. And when the Churchwarden pulled out his
little perfume bottle and showed it around, and explained to Mr. Hanlon
what it had done, the poor man was so overcome that he put his head down
on the Churchwarden's shoulder and wept.
"This'll never do!" cried Toby. "Ain't we never, _never_, going to get
down to this here map? I never _see_ such a time as I've had, trying to
examine this here map! One thing right after another! Mr. Hanlon, I'll
tell you what it's about, and then you can see it for yourself. Would
you like to stay here with our little party? It's a good deal safer than
out-of-doors."
Mr. Hanlon nodded eagerly and smiled, and Toby explained everything to
him and showed him the map.
"Now," said Toby, when that was done, "speak up, Warden, and finish what
you was a-saying!"