Lying close and trembling in every limb, she was obliged to listen to their conversation.
‘Gertie,’ said her grandfather.
There was no answer.
‘All right,’ said the old man; ‘she’s gone out for a minute, I expect. Shut the door and then she can’t come in.’
The foreign gentleman, who had a black silk cap on, but who spoke very good English, closed the door, and then, addressing the other two, appeared to be giving them instructions.
Gertie didn’t hear quite all they said, but she caught the name of Marston spoken by her grandfather, and she instantly made up her mind it was Marston who was being talked about. She listened eagerly. The chance of serving Miss Adrian had come sooner than she could have hoped.
Sometimes the three men spoke so low she could hardly make out what they said, but she heard something about the police, and that to-morrow some one, whom she presumed to be Marston, was to be met by one of them after he had come from the bank with the money for a cheque.
‘They’ll search his lodgings, of course,’ said the foreign gentleman; ‘and we must take care something’s found there. Who’ll do it?’
‘I’ll manage it,’ answered the dark gentleman with the hook nose. ‘I shall go with the ‘tecs, and shall give the information. Leave the case to me; I’ll make it straight enough. If you want him put out of the way for a bit, you can reckon it done.’
Gertie heard this, and more, and she instantly concluded the gentleman in whom Miss Adrian took so much interest was in danger.