“I should have thought he’d have been glad for his nephew to get them.”
“His great-nephew, sir. Well, that’s as may be. All I know is that we found a great ’eap of charred papers in ’is fire-place when we broke in, when we suspected the worst. Lots of it was only old letters and noos-papers, and so on, but there might easily ’eve been paper money amongst it. It was all so powdered up. Anyway, that’s what we decided on in the end, there being no other way to account for the habsence of the money; and we ’adn’t ’alf ransacked ’is chest of drawers and boxes, neither!”
“Strange!” commented Mr. Lane again. “Very strange!”
“So we thought, sir,” acquiesced Mr. Clark. “’Owever, ’ere we are,” he went on, with an abrupt change of key, as the ferry gently nosed into the opposite bank. “And I never noticed ’ow quick we was travelling; all along of chatting about poor old ’Ennery Pash.”
He assisted his passenger to alight, pocketed his fare, and slowly sculled away again across the river.
“Another minute and I’d ’ave bust!” he told himself, in rapt enjoyment. “Sam, my boy, you’re like wine—you improves with age!”
The Magnolia Toilet Saloon, Shorehaven, was empty next morning at noon, save for two individuals. One of these was the proprietor, Mr. Joseph Tridge; the other was the trim, debonair Mr. Peter Lock, and to-day he wore a black tie in place of his usual brilliant neckwear.
“’E’s sure to be in soon, Peter,” Mr. Tridge was saying. “This is just about ’is time. It’s no good your complaining about ’aving to ’ang about ’ere. You agreed with ’Orace and us others— ’Ere quick, sit down! ’Ere ’e comes!”
Mr. Lock, casting aside a newspaper, seated himself at a bound in the operating chair. Mr. Tridge, wrapping a towel about his companion’s shoulders, began delicately to powder Mr. Lock’s smooth chin. A minute later the door opened, and Mr. Thomas Lane entered with the inquiring, calculating gaze habitual to men entering barbers’ shops.
“Shan’t keep you waiting a minute, sir!” called out Mr. Tridge. “I’m just finishing this gent.”