Dorothy's Double. Volume 2 (of 3)

  CHAPTER X

  'We shall be only four at dinner, Dorothy,' Mr. Hawtrey said, when hereturned. 'I could not get Hampton to come.'

  'Engaged, I suppose,' Dorothy said indifferently.

  'No, dear, he simply said that as he had had the misfortune to displeaseyou--I think those were his very words--he thought it would be better tostay away. I could not say that I did not agree with him and so thematter dropped. Of course I am sorry, for I have always liked the lad.Naturally the interest he has shown in us in this trouble and the painshe has taken about it have quite renewed the old feeling. I have turnedto him for advice and talked matters over with him almost as if he hadbeen a son, and, of course, I shall miss him a good deal now--but itcannot be helped.'

  'I am sure I don't want him to stay away from the house, father,'Dorothy said, in an aggrieved tone.

  'I don't know whether you want it or not, Dorothy; but naturally thathas been the effect. You do not suppose that a man who has been on sofriendly a footing with us for the last twenty years is going to put upwith being called Captain Hampton, and addressed as if he were astranger, and treated with a sort of freezing politeness by a girl whom,almost from the day when he arrived in England, he has been giving uphis time to assist. I think he is perfectly right to keep away from thehouse, and I think any man of spirit would do the same.'

  'Did he say that he resented it, father?'

  'Well, no, he didn't. He seemed to think that while it was reasonablethat I, your father, should have had doubts, and that your old friend,Singleton, should have readily accepted the evidence of his senses andhave believed that you had got into some sort of bad scrape, that youshould feel hurt because he did so. Singleton and I both said that itwas preposterous. However, he stuck to his own opinion just as you do toyours. However, there is an end of the matter. I am heartily sorry. Idon't think one makes so many real friends as he has of late shownhimself to be, that one can afford to throw even one away, especiallyjust at a time like this. Well, it is of no use talking about it anymore.'

  Danvers' report of the consultation between himself and Charles Levineleft matters pretty nearly as they were before. It was greatly desirablefor the purpose of preventing any further personation that thejeweller's claim should be contested, but upon the other hand it wasequally certain that it would be an extremely unpleasant thing for Mr.and Miss Hawtrey. The chances of obtaining a verdict were very slight,as they had merely an hypothesis to oppose to the direct evidence of thejeweller and his assistants. It was a case that the principals mustdecide for themselves. In case they were willing to meet the inevitableunpleasantness of a trial, it would be incumbent on them to use everypossible effort to obtain some evidence in confirmation of theirhypothesis. Scotland Yard should be communicated with and detectives setto work; a reward, say of 100_l._, might be offered in the papers forinformation that would lead to the arrest of the female who had beenpersonating Miss Hawtrey and in her name obtaining goods under falsepretences, a description of the woman's appearance being given. Even ifno evidence was forthcoming from the advertisement it would serve as apreparation for the trial, and the defence to the claim would not comeas a surprise. Moreover, the appearance of the advertisement would deterthe woman from attempting for some time to repeat her operations. Mr.Levine also recommended that a letter should be sent to all the shopswhere they dealt, to warn them that it was possible that a person veryclosely resembling Miss Hawtrey might attempt to obtain goods, and thateverything ordered should be sent to the house, and not deliveredpersonally; and it would be desirable, if possible, that they should betold that in future Miss Hawtrey, when giving an order, would give hervisiting card, and that of Mr. Hawtrey; and that any person purportingto be her, and being unable when asked to give her card, should bedetained, and given in charge of the police. This, at least, was theline which they recommended should be adopted; but, of course, thematter would be further considered and gone into later on, if Mr.Hawtrey decided to contest the claim.

  'Levine considers it one of the most difficult cases he has ever beenengaged in,' said Danvers. 'He says frankly he does not think you havethe remotest chance of getting a verdict, unless before the trial comeson you can lay your hand on this woman, and he suggests that you and hetogether should see Gilliat--who, of course, has no personal feeling inthe matter, and would naturally be most averse to taking anything likehostile action against you--and inform him of the exact position of thecase, and your desire that they should not send in their account to youfor another three or four months. This would give at least six monthsbefore the trial would come on, and in that time, if ever, we ought tobe able to lay our hands on this woman, and you would still have theoption of paying, if before the case comes on you can obtain noevidence. Lastly, he says that, unpleasant as it is to contemplate thepossibility of such a thing, it must not be forgotten that in the eventof the trial coming on, and the verdict being an adverse one, it isquite upon the cards that if public opinion is strongly aroused on thesubject, the Treasury may feel compelled to order a prosecution of MissHawtrey for perjury--if not for obtaining goods under falsepretences--or possibly for theft.'

  'Would it be possible to trace the jewels in any way?' Mr. Hawtreyasked, after a long pause.

  'Quite possible, if they were pawned or sold to a jeweller in thiscountry, but that is hardly likely to be the case. Very few jewellerswould purchase such goods without making enquiries as to the vendor, andthe same may be said of the class of pawnbrokers who would be in aposition to advance so large a sum. It is much more probable that thetiaras were broken up an hour after they were stolen and the setting putin a melting pot and the diamonds taken over to Hamburg, and as theyhave not been advertised there would be little or no trouble indisposing of them to a diamond merchant there. Enquiries can be made inthat direction, only we must obtain from Gilliat the technicaldescription of the size, number, and weight of the gems.'

  'Do I understand that your opinion completely agrees with that ofCharles Levine, Danvers?'

  'Precisely; those are the two courses, Mr. Hawtrey; and it is a matterentirely for you and Miss Hawtrey to decide upon. The easiest, the mostpleasant, and, I may say, the cheapest--for costs will follow theverdict--would be to pay the money; the other course would involveimmense trouble and annoyance, the payment of detectives, publicscandal, and, I am afraid, an adverse verdict from the public as well asfrom the jury.'

  'I should say, Hawtrey,' Mr. Singleton put in, 'you had better take asort of middle course; tell Gilliat that the thing is a swindle, butthat if you cannot obtain proof that it is so within six months you willpay him, and in the meantime move heaven and earth to discover thesepeople. If you succeed, well and good. If you don't, pay the money; itseems to me that anything would be better than going into court andbeing beaten.'

  'I think that is very sound advice,' Danvers said, eagerly. 'Gain time,fight if you can fight with a chance of success, but if not, pay him; inthat way you will save all legal expenses, for you can arrange withGilliat to take no steps until you give him a decided answer six monthshence, and you will avoid all the terrible scandal the trial wouldentail. The detectives will, of course, cost money, but I do not see howthat is to be helped.'

  'I think that would be the best plan,' Mr. Hawtrey said. 'I hope youagree with me, Dorothy. I own that the prospect of a trial terrifies me,and I would do anything to avoid it.'

  'Just as you like, father; it seems to me that I would rather fight thanbe robbed; but as everyone seems to think that we should be certainlybeaten I am willing to agree to anything you wish.'

  'Then we will consider that matter settled, Danvers,' Mr. Hawtrey said,in a tone of relief, 'and the decision has taken a tremendous load offmy mind. Will you kindly see Levine? Tell him I put myself entirely inhis hands as to the employment of detectives. I got samples after I leftyou, Singleton, of the silks that hussy took, and I am bound to say thatthey are handsome and do credit to her taste. I am to have sketches ofthe mantles to-morrow. Will you ask Levi
ne, Danvers, whether he advisesI should still put in the advertisement you spoke of, and write to thetradesmen? You can mention that we shall go abroad next week, and on ourreturn go down into Lincolnshire, so that perhaps it would be well notto stop these people, for of course if they were to repeat the trickwhen we were in a position to prove that we were hundreds of miles awayat the time, it would be a pretty conclusive defence if we foughtGilliat's claim.'

  'It would be so conclusive a defence, sir, that Gilliat would neverbring the case into court. The moment he saw that there really was animpostor going about as Miss Hawtrey, he would see that he had beenvictimised, and that his only course was to apologise to Miss Hawtreyfor having doubted her word, and to withdraw his claim. Yes, there is nodoubt it would be the wisest plan to do nothing whatever in the way ofadvertising or warning the tradespeople.'

  A week later the authorities at Scotland Yard had notified the French,Belgian, and German police that a man and woman whose description wasaccurately given, and a likeness of the latter sent, would be probablypassing themselves off under an assumed name, and that should they showthemselves they were to be arrested as swindlers. Small samples of fourpieces of silk and drawings of the mantles were also enclosed to aid inthe identification of the female prisoner, who would probably have theseclothes with her.

  Similar letters were also sent off to the police authorities in alllarge towns and watering-places in the United Kingdom.

  Mr. Hawtrey called twice in Jermyn Street, but found that CaptainHampton was away. He wrote him, however, a full account of all that hadbeen decided upon, and asked him, should he return before they startedfor the Continent, to call and see them. He came in on the last eveningbefore they left town.

  'I only returned an hour ago,' he said. 'I was delighted to get yourletter, and to find the decision you had arrived at.' He had shakenhands cordially with Mr. Hawtrey, formally with Mrs. Daintree andDorothy. Mr. Hawtrey glanced at the former and shook his head, tointimate that that lady had not been taken into the family council.

  'Mary knows nothing about it,' he took occasion afterwards to say, in alow voice; 'the whole thing has been kept a secret from her. She kepther bed for four days after that Halliburn affair, and had she knownthat Dorothy was accused of stealing, she would have had a fit.'

  'You mean as to going away before the season is quite over, CaptainHampton,' Mrs. Daintree said, in reference to his remark on entering.'Yes, I think it is very wise. Dorothy has been looking far from wellfor the last month, and the excitement and late hours have been too muchfor her. I shall be very glad myself to be back again in my quiet home.The season has been a very trying one.'

  'I am sorry to hear you have been poorly, Mrs. Daintree. London seemspleasant enough to me, though there have been two or three very hotdays.'

  'What are you going to do, Ned?' Mr. Hawtrey asked. 'I suppose you arenot going to stay after every one else has gone? I have heard nothingmore about that yacht you talked of.'

  'I have given up the idea. I daresay I should have enjoyed it very much,but one wants a pleasant party, and it does not seem to me that I canget one together, so I have abandoned it and intend taking a run acrossthe Atlantic for two or three months. I did Switzerland and Italy beforeI went away, and should not care about doing Switzerland again at thetime when every hotel is crowded; and as for Italy it would be too hot.I have always thought that I should like a run through the States, and Iam never likely to have a better opportunity than this.'

  'I suppose you will be back by Christmas, Ned? I need not say how glad Ishall be if you come down and spend it with us; it would be like oldtimes, lad.'

  'Thank you, Mr. Hawtrey, I should like it greatly, but I will make nopromises.'

  'Well, suppose you come down to my den and smoke a cigar, Ned. There areseveral matters I want to chat with you about.'

  'Why I want to get off in a hurry,' he went on, when they were seated inthe library, 'I saw Halliburn on the day after the affair was brokenoff, and I suggested to him that the matter should not be made publicfor a week or two. The House will separate next week, and I thought itwould be pleasanter to both parties if nothing was said about it tillafter that, when both will be away, and society scattered, so that allgossip or annoying questions would be avoided. He agreed with methoroughly, as he evidently objected quite as much as I did to therebeing any talk on the subject; so I wrote a paragraph with his approval.It will be sent round to half-a-dozen of these gossipy papers the dayafter Parliament goes down. This is it: "We are authorised to state thatthe match arranged between the Earl of Halliburn and Miss Hawtrey willnot take place. We understand that the initiative in the matter wastaken by the lady, who, in view of the malicious reports concerning herthat have appeared in some of the papers, has decided to withdraw fromthe engagement, much, we believe, to the regret of the noble Earl."'

  'That will do excellently,' Captain Hampton agreed. 'I may tell youfrankly, Mr. Hawtrey, that the idea of going to the States only occurredto me after reading your letter. For the last week I have been workingalong the south coast watering-places, giving a day to each. I began atHastings and went to Eastbourne, Brighton, Worthing, Southsea, andSouthampton, and took a run to Ryde and Cowes. I went to every hotel ofany size at each of those towns, saw the manager and two or three of thewaiters, and showed them the photograph and the scraps of silk, but noneof them had had any lady at all answering to that description, orresembling the likeness, staying there. I intended to have made theentire tour of the seaports, but now that instructions have been sent toall the local police officers I need spend no more time over it. Theywill do it infinitely better than I could, for whereas I could only seeto the hotels, they will naturally keep an eye upon all visitors, and itis as likely that they may be in lodgings as at an hotel; more likely,indeed, for at present they are flush of cash, and would not want tomake the acquaintance of people, especially at hotels, where there wouldbe the risk of running up against somebody who knew Miss Hawtrey. Sowith England and the Continent both provided for I am free to try theStates. I should not have said anything to you about it, but I want youto write to me if the police find any trace of them. I will go to theMetropolitan Hotel at New York, and when I leave will keep them postedas to my whereabouts, so that they can forward any letter to me.'

  'My dear Ned,' Mr. Hawtrey said, feelingly, 'you are indeed a goodfriend. I do not know how to thank you enough, but I really do not likeyou to be wasting your holiday in this fashion.'

  'Don't worry about that; if it hadn't been for this I should have beenhanging about with no particular object, and should have been heartilysick of doing nothing long before my year was out. This will give aninterest and an object in travelling about, and it is always a pleasureto be working for one's dearest friends. There are but few people inEngland now for whom I really care. I never got on with my brothers, andbeyond yourself and kind old Mr. Singleton, I have really no friendsexcept Army men or school chums, like Danvers, and every time I comehome their number will diminish. You must remember I am a policeofficer, and I suppose the instinct of thief-catching is strong in me.Certainty I shall not feel happy until I have got at the root of thismystery. You must remember the hypothesis as to this woman is my own,and I feel that my honour is concerned to prove its correctness; but,mind, Mr. Hawtrey, I particularly request that Dorothy shall knownothing of the matter.'

  'Why not, Ned?'

  'I have not been successful so far, and in fact have done more harm thangood, and the betting is very strongly against my succeeding. They maynot have gone to America. I simply choose it because the other ground isoccupied, and also because there is an undoubted tendency amongcriminals to make for the States. In the next place, even if they are inAmerica, it is almost like looking for a needle in a cart-load of hay.Still, if fortune favours me, I may possibly succeed; but if I do not, Icertainly do not wish to let Dorothy know that I have been trying. Ihave wronged her by having doubted her for a moment, and I do not wishto compel her to feel under an obligat
ion to me merely because I haveunited amusement with a little work on her behalf.'

  'Well, I think you are wrong, Ned--wrong altogether; but of course youmust do as you like in the matter. Have you sketched out any plan foryourself?'

  'I have not thought it over yet, but it will be similar to that I havebeen just working. If they have gone to America, New York is, of course,their most probable destination. I suppose there are not above five orsix hotels that are usually frequented by people coming from England. Ishall try them first, then go down rather lower in the grade, and if Ido not succeed there I shall try Boston; then I must take the otherports to which liners run, until I have exhausted them. I have at leastone advantage there. There will be no question as to their going directinto lodgings. They will be certain to put up at an hotel at first.There is no saying as to where they will go afterwards. My movementswill depend entirely on whether I can pick up a clue. If I cannot getone at any of the seaports there is an end of it, for it would be merefolly to search at random in the interior. Of course, before starting Ishall go to all the steamship offices in London, and find what vesselssailed between the 17th and 24th of last month. That will give me amargin of a week. If they did not go within a week after the robberythey won't have gone at all.'

  'Perhaps we had better join the ladies again or they may be suspectingus of arranging some plan or other.'

  'I will just go up and say good-bye and go. I hope I shall find Dorothylooking better on my return. The troubles of the last eight weeks havetold their tale on her, but I hope that two months' change and then atime of rest and quiet will soon set her up again.'

  'Well, God bless you, Ned. I hope that your search will be successful;but I shall not build upon it at all, and pray do not worry yourself ifyou do not succeed.'

  They went upstairs again. Mrs. Daintree had already gone to bed.

  Dorothy was sitting with the tea-tray before her when her father and NedHampton entered.

  'I was just going to send down to you, father; I thought that you musthave nearly finished your cigars.'

  'Thank you, I won't take any tea, Miss Hawtrey,' Captain Hampton said,as she was about to pour out two cups. 'I only came up to say good-byeand to wish you a pleasant time abroad. As I only came back half an hourbefore I came across to you, I have a pile of notes to open and answer,and as I shall sail in a day or two, I shall have my hands full.'

  Dorothy stood up and shook hands.

  'Good-bye, Captain Hampton; thank you for your good wishes; I hope thatyou too will enjoy your trip.' It was said in the tone of voice in whichshe might have said good-bye to the most ordinary acquaintance.

  Captain Hampton dropped her hand abruptly, and shook hands heartily withMr. Hawtrey, who said, 'Good-bye, Ned; don't get yourself into anyscrapes with Indians, or grizzly bears, or anything of that sort.'

  'I will try not to, sir,' and Captain Hampton turned and left the room.Mr. Hawtrey turned as the door closed, and was about to say somethingsharply, when he saw that there were tears in Dorothy's eyes. He gulpeddown his irritation, took his cup of tea off the tray, and stirred itwith unnecessary violence. Then he abruptly asked Dorothy if her packingwas all finished.

  'We must breakfast at seven sharp,' he said, 'so as to catch the boatwith a quarter of an hour to spare. The exodus has begun and there issure to be a crowd.'

  'Ten minutes in the morning will finish everything,' Dorothy said. 'Iwill be down at a quarter to seven. Mildred can put the rest of thethings in while we are at breakfast. All the boxes are packed and cordedbut one, and can be brought down as soon as I am out of the room. IsCaptain Hampton going to shoot bears and that sort of thing, that yougave him warning?'

  'He does not seem to have any fixed plan, Dorothy, but I fancy from whathe said that he is more likely to wander about and look at the towns,and such places as Niagara and the other places tourists go to as amatter of course. He certainly did not say a word about shooting, and mywarning was in no way given seriously. If we were not going awayourselves I should miss him amazingly, for a better fellow never trod inshoe leather. Now, it's half-past ten, dear, and the sooner we are bothin bed the better, for we are to be called at six.'

  While Ned Hampton had been away Jacob had spent his whole time inwandering in the suburbs in the vain hope of catching sight of the manand woman of whom he was in search. Ned had shown him the portrait, andthe boy had examined it closely.

  'I shall know her when I see her, Captain; one doesn't see gals likethat every day. I seem to have seen some one like her, but I can't thinkwhere. I am sure she was not so pretty as that, not by a long way; butthere is something in the picture that I seem to know.'

  He was in when his master returned from the Hawtreys.

  'No luck, Captain,' he said, apologetically, 'and it ain't been fromwant of tramping about, for I have walked about every day from eight inthe morning and got home at evening that tired I could hardly getupstairs to bed.'

  'By the way, Jacob, have you ever thought of whom the likeness remindedyou? I told you to try and think who it was.'

  'Yes, I know who it was now, but it ain't in our way at all. Four orfive years ago I lived up a court at Chelsea, not far from that bighospital where they put the old soldiers. Well, there was a gal abouttwo years older than me lived up in the attic of one of the houses inthe court along with a woman. I don't remember what the old one's namewas now, but she used to drink awful. She was about fifteen--the gal Imean--and I was about twelve. That gal had something of the look of thelady in the picture, except that the picture is smiling, and she used ingeneral to look cross. I don't know what there was in her face thatcomes back to me as being like the picture, but there must have beensomething, else it would not have made me think of her.'

  'Was the woman her mother?'

  'I don't know, sir.'

  'Well, you go down to that court to-morrow, Jacob, the first thing, andfind out if that woman is there still, and whether the girl is with her;and if they have moved, try to find out where they have gone to. I don'tsuppose there can be the slightest connection between that girl and thewoman that I am in search of, for the woman must have been educated to acertain extent, or she would have been detected by the jeweller or Mr.Singleton directly she spoke; still, as there is nothing else for you todo, it would be just as well for you to make inquiries.

  'There is something else I want to speak to you about, Jacob. In a dayor two I shall leave for America, and may be away some months--I onlysettled the matter an hour ago--and I don't see what I am to do withyou; I don't know what sort of place you are fit for here, and if I didknow I don't see how I could get it for you.'

  'Take me with you, Captain,' Jacob said promptly. 'Couldn't I be of useto you there, sir, as well as here? I knows as I haven't done no goodyet; but it ain't been for want of trying, I will take my davy on that.'

  'I don't say that you would not be of use Jacob, but you would add veryheavily to my expenses; the distances there are very great, and theextra train fares would come to quite a large sum. You would not costmuch besides; not more perhaps than here.'

  'I would not cost so much, Captain,' Jacob said confidently. 'I calls itjust chucking money away as it is now. I would be willing to live on drybread if you would take me. Three pennyworth a day would do me fine, andI could take my old clothes with me and put them on at nights and sleepanywhere. As to the trains, Captain, I could walk first-rate, and Iexpect I could get a lift in a waggon sometimes.'

  'Well, I will think it over, Jacob. I don't quite see what use you wouldbe to me, though there might be occasions when I might want some one tokeep watch. Well, go off to bed now. I shall have thought it over by thetime I see you in the middle of the day.'

  While Captain Hampton sat smoking he finally settled the question.Common-sense, as he told himself, was altogether against taking the boy.His passage out and back in the steerage would cost eight or ten pounds,there was no saying how much the railway fares would be if he got onthese people's track and found they had go
ne inland. It was not likelythat the boy could be of any material use to him.

  The more he thought of it the more absurd the idea of taking himappeared, and yet that was what he decided upon doing. It was a luxury,but he had laid by money each year to enable him to enjoy his trip homethoroughly. Circumstances had occurred that had altogether upset theprogramme he had formed, and there was no reason why he should not enjoythe luxury of having Jacob with him.

  He had taken a strong liking to the boy. Jacob had attached himself tohim without any other reason than that he liked him, and he was certainthat he would serve him faithfully. He was as sharp as a needle, withthat precocious sharpness which comes of want and necessity. Supposingthese people were found, they would certainly have to be watched untilan extradition warrant could be obtained from England; but, above all,in such a quest it would be a satisfaction to have some one to talk to,some one who would be as keen in the search as he was himself.

  'I don't suppose it will cost more than fifty pounds,' he said, finally,'and that bit of extravagance won't hurt me.'

  In the morning his first visit was to Danvers' chambers.

  'I was wondering where you had hidden yourself, Hampton. I have seenscarcely anything of you for the last fortnight.'

  'I have been trying to get to the bottom of this affair of Hawtrey's onmy own account, and of course have failed. I am going for a run over tothe States. I don't care for the Continent in August and September, thehotels are so frightfully crowded. It has struck me that it is possiblethat these people may have gone to the States, and I will stop a day ortwo in New York to see if I can find any trace of their having passedthrough there. I found a letter from Hawtrey when I came home lastnight, telling me all that you are doing. As you are acting in thematter with Charles Levine I thought it would be a help to me if youwould get a letter for me from Scotland Yard to the police there, sayingthat I was in search of two notorious swindlers, and asking them to giveme any assistance they can.'

  'That is a very good idea, Hampton. It is quite on the cards that theymade for the States directly they had realised the money for theirplunder.'

  'How long do you think they would have been doing that?'

  'Two or three days. It is not likely they would sell the diamonds here.The man probably started with them for Hamburg the night they werestolen, and a few hours would be sufficient there.

  'The robbery was on the 15th of last month. There is no reason why theyshould not have sailed by the 20th from Liverpool; or he may have takenher with him, Danvers, and they may have gone by one of the Germansteamers.'

  'That is likely enough,' Danvers agreed, 'if they have gone to theStates; and if there happened to be a steamer anywhere about at thattime, it is the route they would naturally choose. They would, ofcourse, be pretty sure that it would be some days before the robbery ofthe diamonds would be discovered; still longer before it occurred toanyone that Miss Hawtrey herself had nothing whatever to do with it.Still, they would not care to delay, and would certainly prefer a routethat would obviate the necessity for their passing through England.

  'Well, I will see about this matter at once, I have not been incommunication with Scotland Yard myself; of course, all that comes intoLevine's province. I will go down to him, and ask him to get the letterat once. When are you leaving?'

  'I have nothing to keep me here, and if I find there is a steamer goingon Wednesday I will take a berth in her; I can be ready to leave hereto-morrow night; indeed, I could leave to-night if necessary.'

  'Wednesday is the regular mail day; that is, I know letters have to beposted here on Tuesday afternoon. So you will get one of the fast boatson Wednesday. You have heard all the fresh developments, I suppose, inMiss Hawtrey's affair?'

  Captain Hampton nodded.

  'I tell you it surprised me, and it surprised Levine even more. Hescoffed altogether at the suggestion, of which Mr. Hawtrey told me youwere the author, that it was a case of personation, but these two casesstaggered him. I don't think that the getting money from Singleton wouldhave done so alone, but the getting the silk dresses seemed to himconclusive. He quite believed that a girl might be driven to any straitsif threatened by a scoundrel who had a hold on her, but that MissHawtrey should have taken to motiveless petty swindling seemed to himincredible. I was not as surprised as he was, because, strong as thecase seemed against her, I could not bring myself to believe altogetherthat she was guilty. I am heartily glad, at any rate, that we havepersuaded Hawtrey to pay the money if he cannot get any evidence insupport of the impersonation theory.'

  'So am I, Danvers. Hawtrey told me that you both said he had no chancewhatever of getting a verdict, and I quite agree with you; but even ifthe jury had been persuaded, numbers of the public would still havebelieved her guilty, and the story would have told against her all herlife.'

  'I am very sorry that I am engaged this evening, Hampton, or else wemight have dined together. It is one I cannot very well get out of. Howlong do you mean to be away?'

  'It is quite uncertain. If I can get any trace of these people I mean tofollow it up if it takes months to do it.'

  The other nodded.

  'I suppose Hawtrey told you that that engagement was broken off?' hesaid carelessly.

  'Yes,' Hampton said shortly, 'Hawtrey told me. I was very glad to hearit, for this sort of thing might have been started on an even biggerscale if she had married him, and might have ruined her life altogether.It is bad enough as it is.'

  'No means of writing to you, I suppose, while you are away?'

  'I shall be glad if you will write to me to the Metropolitan Hotel, NewYork, if anything should be heard of these people here or on theContinent, and I shall telegraph to those hotel people two or threetimes a week saying where I am, so that they can forward anything on tome; but I don't think that letters will be likely to overtake me, as Ishall be moving about. I suppose you have arranged to telegraph at onceto him if you get any news from the foreign police?'

  'Yes; he is going to send me a line three or four times a week with hisaddress for the next day or two.'

  'Then in that case it would be of no use your writing to me, as he willknow directly you do if anything turns up. Well, good-bye, old fellow.'

  'Good-bye. I suppose that you will be back by the end of the year? Atany rate, I hope so. I am off to-morrow myself; I am going to Vienna. Ihave a case coming on next sessions and want to see some people there,so I can combine business with pleasure. I think it possible that I maygo on from there to Constantinople, and then go down to Greece, and homeby water. I should have started a week ago if it had not been for thisbusiness of Hawtrey's, which seemed at one time to look so serious thatI really did not like to go away until something was settled.'

  Captain Hampton's arrangements occupied him little more thanhalf-an-hour. He bought a case of cartridges for his revolver, took apassage for himself, and one in the steerage for Jacob. He hesitated asto whether to get the boy some more clothes, but decided to put that offtill he got out, as there might be some slight difference in make thatwould attract attention; the only thing he bought for him was a smallportmanteau. After taking his passage, therefore, he went home and readthe paper till Jacob came in.

  'Well, Jacob, to begin with, what is your news?'

  'The woman died two years ago, sir; drank herself to death, theneighbours say. The gal had left her two years before. No one knowswhere she went to, no one saw her go. The woman let out some timeafterwards as she had gone: "A friend had took her," she said; but noone heard her say anything more. She wasn't a great one for talking. Thewoman wasn't buried by the parish; an undertaker came and said he hadbeen sent to do the job, and she was buried decent. There were a hearseand a carriage, and some of the people in the court went to the funeral,'cause she wasn't a bad sort when she was sober. And please, Captain, amI going with you?'

  'Yes, I have made up my mind to take you.'

  The boy threw up the cap that he held in his hand to the ceiling andcaught it again. 'T
hank you, sir,' he said; 'I laid awake all nightthinking on it. I will do all that you tell me, sir, and if I don't actright, just you turn me adrift out there--there ain't nothing as wouldbe too bad for me.'