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'
‘Hollands, sir,’ replied the sexton, trembling more than ever; for he
had bought it of the smugglers, and he thought that perhaps his
questioner might be in the excise department of the goblins.
'
‘Who drinks Hollands alone, and in a churchyard, on such a night as
this?’ said the goblin.
'
'
‘Gabriel Grub! Gabriel Grub!’ exclaimed the wild voices again.
The goblin leered maliciously at the terrified sexton, and then raising
his voice, exclaimed -
'‘And who, then, is our fair and lawful prize?’
'
To this inquiry the invisible chorus replied, in a strain that sounded
like the voices of many choristers singing to the mighty swell of the old
church organ - a strain that seemed borne to the sexton's ears upon a
wild wind, and to die away as it passed onward; but the burden of the
reply was still the same, ‘Gabriel Grub! Gabriel Grub!’
'The goblin grinned a broader grin than before, as he said, ‘Well,
Gabriel, what do you say to this?’
'
The sexton gasped for breath. '‘What do you think of this, Gabriel?’
said the goblin, kicking up his feet in the air on either side of the
tombstone, and looking at the turned-up points with as much
complacency as if he had been contemplating the most fashionable
pair of Wellingtons in all Bond Street.
'
‘
‘It's - it's - very curious, Sir,’ replied the sexton, half dead with fright;
very curious, and very pretty, but I think I'll go back and finish my
work, Sir, if you please.’
'
'
'
‘Work!’ said the goblin, ‘what work?’
‘The grave, Sir; making the grave,’ stammered the sexton.
‘Oh, the grave, eh?’ said the goblin; ‘who makes graves at a time when
all other men are merry, and takes a pleasure in it?’
'
'
Again the mysterious voices replied, ‘Gabriel Grub! Gabriel Grub!’
‘I am afraid my friends want you, Gabriel,’ said the goblin, thrusting
his tongue farther into his cheek than ever - and a most astonishing
tongue it was - ’I'm afraid my friends want you, Gabriel,’ said the
goblin.
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