The Flower of the Flock, Volume 2 (of 3)Egan, Pierce
General
The Flower of the Flock, Volume 2 (of 3)
Egan, Pierce
Fiction
Yet he was present at the solemn ceremony, prayed fervently during the
service, and lingered long after the _cortege_ had gone, that he might
stand by the new-made grave, and pay the tribute of his tears and the
last sad testimonies of his loving respect for the departed.
When he quitted the graveyard, it was no more to return to the house
which had sheltered him from boyhood.
These were the facts which Charley Clinton partially gathered from his
inquiries at Highbury; and as no one knew where Harry Vivian was now to
be found, he had to turn disappointedly away.
His acute intellect was not, however, to be so easily thwarted. The very
nature of his occupation gave a tone of inquiry to his mind; and in
the getting up of evidence--on which service he had been frequently
employed--he had found so much advantage result from pushing
investigation beyond what appeared to be its natural limits, that he
resolved not to pause at the point he had now reached.
Often what we seek is to be found in places where we deem it least
likely to be situated. Charley knew this, and he cast about for some
other acquaintance or friend of Lotte’s who might be able to drop even a
hint upon which he could act.
He thought eventually of Miss Wilton, and at once made his way to
the Regent’s Park, to see whether the family was in town: if not, he
determined to write as soon, as he reached his lodgings.
Having absolutely no claim to insist on seeing Miss Wilton, if she
were to be denied to him--presuming that she was at the town house--he
determined upon his mode of proceeding.
By an accident, he mistook Mr. Grahame’s residence for Mr. Wilton’s, and
commenced those operations upon the porter there which were intended for
the functionary next door.
He was skilled and successful. Whelks, being called into the conference
and fee’d, it was resolved that Mr. Clinton should see Mr. Grahame’s
youngest daughter--the eldest being from home, and the next at the opera
with her mamma.
Charley had explained that his business was of importance, and had
nothing whatever to do with any charitable institution, or case of
urgent distress recommended by the vicar of his parish; therefore, it
was considered that a few words with Miss Evangeline--who, after all,
was not looked upon as holding any position in the family--could result
in nothing likely to turn out unpleasant to the parties paid to effect
the interview.
Accordingly, Charles Clinton and Evangeline Grahame were brought face to
face.
He was a little embarrassed at first, but when he began to explain that
he came to put a few questions to her, which he hoped she would be
able to answer, respecting a missing young lady, he at once lost his
embarrassment, and grew interested in observing a flush mount to her
cheek, and her eyes glisten while in earnestness she rested her small
hand upon his arm, and looked up into his face watching his countenance
and listening to his words with intense avidity.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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