Mr. Effingham strode down the avenue, switching his stick and muttering:
"Done! sold! swindled!" he exclaimed; "regularly roped,--that's what I am! It was lucky I kept my face before the Bart., or I should never have collared the cheque; but that's all right. So far he thinks it was my doin', and forked out accordin'. That's the only bright part of it. To think that a yellow-faced meek-lookin' thing like that should have taken me in to that toon! What can her game be? To get clear of the lot of us?--that's it! Pretendin' to be all square with me, and then cuttin' and runnin' and shakin' it all off! Oh, a deep 'un, a regular deep 'un! Now what's my game? After her as hard as I can. Where will she make for? London, I should think,--try hidin' somewhere. Ah! if she does that, I'll ferret her out. It'll be a quiet place that I don't hunt her up in, with the means I have for workin' a search. Here's two skivs to the good from the Bart. I'll meet the dog-cart and get down to Torquay, and go up at once by the express. Hallo! gate, there!"
"Why, you are in a hurry, sir!" said the old portress, coming out; "mist as pressed as the young woman as knocked me up at day-dawn this morning."
"Ah! what was that?" said Mr. Effingham stopping short.
"I would have told you this morning when you came in; but you were so short and snappish!" said the old lady. "She came down wi' a little passel in her hand, and knocked at my door and ast for the key. And I got up to let her out, and there were a fly outside--Mullins's fly, and young Mullins to drive; and she got in, and off they went."
"Ay, ay where does Mullins live?"
"Just close by Mitford Arms. His father were wi' my father--"
"Yes, yes; thank you! all right! goodbye!" and Mr. Effingham rushed off up the by-lane to where he knew the dog-cart was waiting.