'He may tell me where Mr. Glover lives.'
'And then?' demanded Turk, in a grave and sorrowful tone.
I turned from him petulantly. 'If you do not care to understand me,' I said, 'I had best go alone.'
I walked swiftly onwards towards Mr. Rackstraw's office, Turk following me at a distance of a few paces.
Mr. Rackstraw's office was situated in a quiet narrow street in the rear of Covent-garden. It was closed, as I expected it would be, and although I rang all the bells on the door for fully ten minutes, I received no answer. Turk stood quietly near me, without speaking. I was heartily ashamed of myself for my treatment of him, and I made an attempt at reconciliation by holding out my hand to him as I turned disconsolately from Mr. Rackstraw's door. He took my hand with affectionate eagerness.
'I can't find it in my heart,' he said with rough tenderness, 'to be angry with you; but I ought to be.'
'I am ashamed of myself for behaving so badly to you, Turk, but I couldn't help it. I think I am ready to do any mad or foolish thing.'
'Oh, I don't care about myself. I have a stronger reason for being angry with you. Who of we two should be Jessie's champion? You, I should say. Yet I am obliged to defend her from your suspicions. If you were ten years older than you are, I should quarrel with you, Chris; I would with any other man who dared to say a word against her.'
'Who has said anything against her?' I demanded hotly.
'You, in coupling her name with Mr. Glover--you, even in the expression of the idea that Mr. Glover has had anything to do with her disappearance. I don't want you to be ashamed of yourself for treating me badly, but you ought to be for your suspicions of her.'