“Of course not, mum; nobody says that it is, or means that it shall be, and nobody accuses you of wilfully concealing the fugitive—”
“They’d better not!” interposed the landlady.
“Well, they don’t but you have a young lady lodging here who arrived last Wednesday morning—a dark young lady, dressed in black?”
“Yes, but there are hundreds upon hundreds of dark young ladies dressed in black in London, and they aint all poisoners—God forbid! And this one with me aint Eudora Leaton, nor no such demon; on the contrary, she is Miss Miller, and an angel, that’s what she is!”
“But for all that, mum, you must let us see this Miss Miller; you can have no objection to that?”
“Yes, but I has an objection; I has a very particular objection to any party of perlice intruding into a modest young lady’s private apartments in my house. And so you had better go about your business,” said the landlady, still stopping the way with her large form.
“We are sorry to trouble you, Mrs. Corder, but it is absolutely necessary for us to see this lodger,” insisted the detective.
“But as my lodger happens to be a dark young lady in black, you may take her up by mistake, and that would kill the poor young creature.”
“No danger, Mrs. Corder; we are both well acquainted with the personal appearance of Miss Eudora Leaton, having held her in custody for a whole day and night before her escape. It is only necessary for us to see this lodger for one moment, in order to know whether she is Eudora Leaton or not. If she is, we must take her at once; if she is not, you will be instantly relieved of our presence. And now I hope you will not longer hinder us from the discharge of our duty.”
“Oh, certainly not—certainly not! Search! search by all manner of means, if you can’t take an honest woman’s word for it!” said the landlady, sarcastically. “Only for decency’s sake, you must let me go before you, and tell Miss Miller before you burst in upon her privacy.”