‘’Cause I just see her ‘usband go out.’
Clara hesitated a moment, then bade him enter. She introduced him to a parlour on the ground floor. He stood looking uneasily about him. The habits of his life made him at all times suspicious.
‘Mrs. Rodman doesn’t live here,’ Clara began, lowering her voice and making a great effort to steady it.
‘Oh, she don’t?’ replied ‘Arry, beginning to discern that something was wrong.
‘Can you tell me what you want with her?’
He looked her in the eyes and again grinned.
‘Dare say I could if it was made worth my while.’
She took a purse from her pocket and laid half-a-crown on the table. Her hand shook.
‘I can’t afford more than that. You shall have it if you tell me the truth.’
‘Arry took counsel with himself for an instant. Probably there was no more to be got, and he saw from the woman’s agitation that he had come upon some mystery. The chance of injuring Rodman was more to him than several half-crowns.