“No, strangely enough, they did not. These people have a noble respect for a lord—Heaven save the mark! They think Lord Killcrichtoun would never have stooped to such an under-handed act, when he might have taken the boy with the high hand of the law.”
“Humph! Did they suggest anything themselves? Having told you what didn’t become of the boy, did they suggest what did?”
“Yes, they really did! they suspected—just imagine it,—that the child had been stolen for the sake of his clothes, just as a dog is sometimes stolen for the sake of his collar!”
“Ah, Anna, I pin my faith on the experienced officers. I am inclined now fully to exonerate Alick and be guided by the detectives. Now I begin to see light—now I understand what occurred to me at the railway station!” said Dick, significantly.
“‘What occurred to you at the railroad station,’ Dick? Oh, Dick! what was that? Anything that concerned little Lenny?” eagerly inquired Anna.
“I should think it did concern little Lenny. As truly as I live, Anna, when I reached town this afternoon and stepped out upon the platform, and while I was looking around for a cab, I heard little Lenny’s voice calling me!”
“Oh, Dick! You didn’t!”
“As I live I did! He called me as he was accustomed to call me—‘Dit! Dit! Oh, Dit, tome here!’”
“Oh! why didn’t you answer him? Why didn’t you go after him and rescue him and bring him home?—Perhaps you did! Perhaps you have only been playing ignorance to tease me! Oh, Dick, don’t do it! If you have got little Lenny, tell me so!” said Anna, earnestly, clasping her hands.
“My poor wife, I wish for your sake and his unhappy mother’s, that I had the boy here; but I have not. Listen to me——”