“Good job for you,” said Elbraham, mopping his red face and bald head. “Clo’s a regular devil. Is she here?”
“Here!” said Lord Henry. “Oh no! she has not been here for a long time.”
“Then she has bolted!”
“Has what?” cried Lord Henry.
“Bolted, Moorpark—bolted, damn her! Left a note for me saying she was going to dine with her sister, and I took the bait, till, thinking it a good opportunity to go and look over her jewels, hang me if they weren’t all gone!”
“Her jewels gone?”
“Yes; and that made me suspicious. I went down directly and was going to ring, when I ran up against our buttons.”
“Ran up against your buttons?” said Lord Henry wonderingly.
“Yes: the page-boy—with the large travelling-case in his hand. ‘Hullo, you sir,’ says I, ‘what have you got there?’
“‘A case missus said I was to take to Cannon Street Station, sir, and meet her there; and I’ve been waiting about for ever so long and couldn’t see her, sir, so I thought I’d better bring it back!’