I put the shovel away and calmly sat down on the coal-box facing him.

He favoured me with a vicious stare.

Still calmly, though my heart was going pitapat, I pulled out Louis's dirk and began to whet it on the stone.

I had looked for almost any sort of explosion on the Cockney's part, but to my surprise he did not appear aware of what I was doing.

He went on whetting his knife.