“I don’t know as she’s what you might term a married lady, but still she may be for aught I know; but mother will be able to tell you more about it.”
“Where does your mother live?”
“Close by here; I’ll show you if you like.”
“Do—there’s a good chap.”
Mr. Wrench slipped a shilling into the boy’s hand, for which he appeared to be duly grateful.
He took the detective to a narrow court, and halted in front of a dirty-looking house with five bell handles one above the other on the side of the doorway.
He rang the third bell, whereupon a woman, wiping the soap suds from her bare arms with her apron, made her appearance in the passage.
“Mother, a gentleman wants to speak to you,” said the greengrocer’s assistant, as he left to go his rounds.
“Your sarvint, sir,” said Mrs. Mumms, coming forward.
“Oh, your son informs me that you know Miss Stanbridge. Is that so?”