'Is Mrs. Lennox staying here?' he asked of the lady who opened the door.
'There was a lady of that name who inquired for rooms here this morning.'
'And isn't she here? Why didn't she take the rooms?'
'Well, sir, she said she was expecting to be confined, and I didn't care to have illness in my house.'
'You don't mean to tell me that you turned her out? Oh, you atrocious—! If you were a man….'
Overpowered with rage he stopped for words, and the woman, fearing he would strike her, strove to shut the door. But Dick, with his thick leg, prevented her, and at this moment they were joined by the maid, who screamed over her mistress's shoulder:
'The lady said she would come round here in a couple o' hours' time to ask for you, and I advised her to try for rooms at No. 28 in this street. You'll find her there.'
This was enough for Dick, and loosing his hold on the door he made off; streets, carriages, passers-by, whirled before his eyes.
'Is Mrs. Lennox here?' he asked so roughly when the door was opened, that the maid regretted having said yes as soon as the word had passed her lips.
'On what floor?'