“Hadn’t you better let the old woman have a general clean up?”
“I pay the rent of those chambers,” said Stratton almost fiercely, “to do with them as I please. No!”
“All right; tell her to go to Jericho, then. But look here, she was asking me about Mr Brettison.”
Stratton’s countenance changed a little, either from excitement or interest in his friend’s words.
“Isn’t it strange that he doesn’t come back?”
“I don’t know. No. He is peculiar in his ways. Sometimes I have not seen him for months together.”
“Oh,” said Guest quietly; and soon after he left.
It was about a week later that, on going to the inn one evening, Guest was caught again by the porter’s wife.
“Which I won’t keep you a minute, sir, but would you mind answering me one question?”
“If I can,” said Guest, knocking the ashes from his cigar.