Dorothy's Double. Volume 2 (of 3)Henty, G. A. (George Alfred)
History
Dorothy's Double. Volume 2 (of 3)
Henty, G. A. (George Alfred)
Great Britain -- History -- 19th century -- Fiction
'There is no saying at all. He might go down to some quiet place in the
country, but Lor' bless you, a man like that could never stand three
weeks of it. It is very likely that if he is in funds and has got a
clever woman with him they may have got themselves up and be staying at
some swell hotel at one of the seaside places, or at Harrogate or
Buxton, and be carrying on some little swindle there. Then again, after
this job you say they have managed, they may think it best to make
themselves scarce altogether, and may be at some foreign watering-place.
A clever sharp can always make his living at those sort of places,
especially with a woman to help him. I suppose she is young and pretty?'
Captain Hampton nodded.
'Bound to be,' the detective went on. 'Well, a sharp fellow with a girl
like that, if she is shrewd and clever, can just turn over money at
places of that kind. They are full of young fools, most of whom have got
money in their pockets. Well then, again, they may have gone across the
water somewhere--more likely the States than anywhere else; it is a big
place for hiding in, and when a fellow has done a bit of clever sharping
here and knows that he is wanted, he somehow always makes for the
States, just as naturally as a duck takes to water.
'Have you agents who would be of any use at these places?'
'No, I will acknowledge frankly that I have not, Captain Hampton. It
would be no use taking Mr. Hawtrey's money for a job of that sort; it is
too big for me. If there was any one place to which you could track them
I could send out a man there well enough. But I could not work either
the Continent or the States. If you have got proof of a bad piece of
swindling against this man, your best plan will be to go to Scotland
Yard and get them to put a man at your service. The foreign police would
not move a finger if I were to write to them, but they would be willing
enough to move if Scotland Yard had the thing in hand.'
'Mr. Hawtrey has put himself in Charles Levine's hands, and in these
matters he will have to act as he suggests; but I am taking the matter
up on my own account. I have spent a good deal of time over it, and
don't like to be beaten, and if you could have undertaken it, and it
would have been at all within my means, I would have arranged with you.
As it is, I shall come to you again for advice and assistance if I
require them. I think you had better send in your account to Mr. Hawtrey
for the work done so far, with a letter asking for instructions. He may
like to have the racecourses watched for a bit longer. If you see him do
not mention this talk with me. By the way, I found that boy you had, on
my door-step a few days ago. He told me he had left you, and as he
seemed a sharp little fellow I have taken him on to run errands and that
sort of thing.'
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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