I was thinking several things all at a time.

How did he come to know?
Had I been watched?
Had some person followed me out of Berwick that night?
Was this part of the general mystery?
And what was going to come of it, now that Abel Crone was aware that I knew something which, up to then, I had kept back?
I stood helplessly staring at him as he turned up the wick of an oil lamp that stood on a mantelpiece littered with a mess of small things, and he caught a sight of my face when there was more light, and as he shut the door on us he laughed--laughed as if he knew that he had me in a trap.

And before he spoke again he went over to the cupboard and took out a bottle and glasses.
"Will you taste ?" he asked, leering at me.

"A wee drop, now?
It'll do you good." "No!" said I.
"Then I'll drink for the two of us," he responded, and poured out a half-tumblerful of whisky, to which he added precious little water.
"Here's to you, my lad; and may you have grace to take advantage of your chances!" He winked over the rim of his glass as he took a big pull at its contents, and there was something so villainous in the look of him that it did me good in the way of steeling my nerves again.

For I now saw that here was an uncommonly bad man to deal with, and that I had best be on my guard.
"Mr.Crone," said I, gazing straight at him, "what's this you have to say to me ?" "Sit you down," he answered, pointing at a chair that was shoved under one side of the little table.