British -- Italy -- Fiction; Dogs -- Fiction; Young women -- Fiction
He found her voluble over her wrongs--"To have gone off quite unexpected
without by your leave or with your leave, and not a word of notice, nor
to have heard nothing from that day to this, and the rent owing, and--"
"It seems strange to me that he did not take his things," hazarded Jack.
The woman gave him a quick glance.
"Things! There was little enough he had. He took his carpet bag, and
in that there was everything he had of value, that you may be sure of,
and me such a loser and quite unsuspecting; and as for the bits he left
behind, well, sir, if you wish for an inventory, there's a bootjack and
a clothes-brush, and--"
"Never mind the things," said Ibbetson pleasantly. "I quite understand,
as you say, that they're not likely to be worth much. It's Mr Smith
himself that I'm anxious to find. Don't you think he mentioned where he
was going, and that it may have slipped your memory?"
"Oh, my memory is good enough I'm not of that age to be growing
forgetful," said the woman with a toss of her head. But she was
evidently mollified.
"That's exactly what I should have thought, only I couldn't make it out;
for I am sure when I go away for a day or two I always tell my landlady,
and Mr Smith would probably have valued you sufficiently to do the
same, so that I should have expected him to say something."
"Well, sir, he _did_ mention a name."
"I was certain he would. But I dare say you naturally thought, when he
didn't make his appearance the next day or afterwards, that it was only
intended to put you on a wrong scent?"
"Well, I don't deny it. And you see, sir, they came bothering me so
with questions, one young gentleman in particular, I'm sure fit to tear
the place down; and there's so many unpleasant things as happens on the
papers, and my sister Mrs Walker, says she, `Mary Jane, don't you go
mixing yourself up with you don't know what,' and another gentleman as
come, he as good as said the same."
"Yes, I can quite understand," said Ibbetson quietly. But he was really
a good deal startled. "This other gentleman, I think I know him, tall,
with a reddish face, and a soft voice?"
"Yes, sir," said the woman, staring.
"Then you mentioned the name to him?"
"Well, I did. And he advised me, very serious like, not to let it out,
particularly not to the young gentleman. There were unpleasantnesses
about, and I might get into a good deal of trouble--that's what he said,
in his very words."
Jack was reflecting how much Trent had paid by way of impressing his
advice. He took out a sovereign, and saw that she saw it.
"There's no chance of that any longer, I give you my word," he said.
"I'm afraid the name of the place won't go far towards finding him, but
I should like to have it."
She hesitated. Ibbetson kicked a stone under his feet.
"You're sure I shan't get into trouble?"
"Certain."
"You don't look like one to deceive. Well, it was Worthing, as he spoke
of."
"Any street?"
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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