“No, certainly not. I’m a stranger to these parts,” observed Rawton, “and certainly never expected to find such a lawless act committed like this in open daylight. It so alarmed me that I have not as yet recovered from the shock.”
“I dare say not, sir; I can well understand that, and indeed I am very sorry,” replied the clerk, apologetically, “extremely sorry. Such a thing never occurred before. I can’t make it out; but your pardon, sir; you have not found what you want.”
“No, the interruption was so sudden and unlooked for that for the moment I had almost forgotten my errand.”
The blubbering boy scampered off the moment he was released, and the clerk and Rawton returned to the room.
“May I take the next volume to this?” said the gipsy.
“Yes, sir, if you please.”
Rawton turned over the leaves of the other volume and in the space of a few minutes found the two names of which he professed to be in search, but which, as the reader can readily imagine, he cared nothing about. It so chanced that he remembered the persons bearing these names being married in the year 1852, and they did very well as a blind to his proceedings.
When he found them he professed to be very anxious to have a copy of the entry in the book, which the clerk at once proceeded to make. The clergyman had to sign it as a matter of form, and when this had been done, it was handed to the gipsy, who paid the usual fee, wished the clerk good day, and walked rapidly on towards the station.
“I’ve done my worthy friend, the doctor, now, and no mistake. Hester can defy him. After all there was not much to fear, but I should have been on the grizzle, and as savage as a meat hatchet if he’d got the better of her. It was about as neat a job as I can remember doing, and Cooney did his part to rights, just in the nick of time. Nobody will be any the wiser, and the chances are the leaf will never be missed; but if it is I can’t help it.”
Upon arriving at the station, he found Cooney seated in front of the refreshment bar, devouring the remains of half a pork-pie, which he washed down with a pint of bitter.