It had certainly been a hard fate which took him, at Dunhythe, to inquire of one of the few natives who had been out of the way when the _Sarah Dawkes_ went by, but who cheerfully informed him that the barge had gone straight through without stopping at the wharf. The detective was misled by the extreme probability that this was true. Persons escaping would not tarry all night at Dunhythe. He had been surprised that they stopped, as they undoubtedly had done, at Sunbury. The moon had been bright--why not go on as fast as they could? He could get no definite assurance of a sick girl on board at Sunbury, and for a week had been under the impression that it was at this point that she had been removed from the barge. His pursuit of this idea delayed him long, and brought him to Dunhythe when the scent was stale, and the small incident beginning to fade from the foreground of people's minds owing to the scarlet-fever scare. His only trustworthy clew, so far, was the report of the _George Barnes_ men; and in the absence of any confirmation of it he was inclined to look upon the clew as worthless, except for the slipping away of Felix that morning--which might, after all, have been accidental. Felix's head swam all day long with a sense of new and complicated responsibilities. All the morning as he worked the idea was growing stronger in his mind that he would confide in his Russian friend, whose ignorance of English made him very safe. He might be able to tell him how to baffle the sort of shadowing to which he was being subjected. At least, he might come down with him to the wharf that night and prevent his being worried by the watcher. As soon as they knocked off work at the yard he hastened away. The detective was in the High Street, idling near a tavern. He was not quick enough. Felix saw him as he went by. It was a surprise to the spy to see the young fellow, trim and neat after his day's work, go calmly and openly into the best inn in the place. Felix hurried in, and was at once pounced upon by the waiter. "Mr. Vronsky wants you badly, sir; he said I was to catch you as you went by. He has got a gentleman from Wales in there, and they can't understand either one a word of what the other says." CHAPTER XI FELIX TAKES ADVICE The Pilgrim said, "Peace be with you, Lady"; and bent his knees. She answered, "Peace." Her eyes were like the wave within; Like water-reeds the poise Of her soft body, dainty thin; And like the water's noise Her plaintive voice. --D. G. ROSSETTI. The scene as Felix entered the parlor of the hotel was of a most unusually animated description. The models had all been taken out of "_consigne_" earlier in the day, and Vronsky had laid them out upon the table.