Pina, still sobbing, went to obey.
“And now, Anna, if you wish to accompany me, go and get ready quickly. I have something to do in the meanwhile.”
“Where are you going, Drusilla?” inquired Mrs. Hammond, wondering to see the agonized young mother take the direction of affairs with so much firmness.
“I am going to institute a search for little Lenny. I must find him before I sleep. Use your pleasure, Anna dear, in going with me, or staying at home.”
“I shall go with you most certainly,” said Mrs. Hammond, leaving the room to prepare for her ride.
Meanwhile Drusilla sat down to her writing desk, and wrote off rapidly disjointed paragraphs on several sheets of paper.
Anna returned ready for her drive, and found Drusilla thus occupied.
“What in the world are you doing, my dear?” inquired Mrs. Hammond.
“Preparing slips of paper that may, or may not, be wanted; for no time must be lost. See, here is a telegram to be sent to uncle at Southampton, if necessary. Here are a dozen copies of an advertisement, descriptive of little Lenny’s person and dress, and of the circumstances of his disappearance, and the reward offered for his restoration, to be put, if required, into to-morrow’s papers. Still I hope that none of these things need be done. We must drive first to Mivart’s where Alexander stops, or did stop, and see if he is still there, and if he has the child in his possession. If we find that Lenny is safe with his father, then it will be all right, for I feel sure that my boy will be amused and happy for a little while, and then he will want to come home to me, and Alick will never be so cruel as to keep him from his mother. But if we do not find him with Alick, then we must send this telegram immediately to Southampton to summon uncle back to town; and we must have this advertisement inserted in all the papers, and posted all over London; and we must employ the whole detective police force, or as many of it as we can procure, to prosecute the search——It is time the cab were here. I wish it would come,” said Drusilla, touching the bell.
“Good Heaven, Drusilla! how you do astonish me! Who would have believed that you—a young and delicate woman, a doting and anxious mother—could have displayed so much coolness and resolution in such an hour of trial and suffering,” exclaimed Anna, in genuine admiration.