“I can’t find any mention in the Advertizer, ”said Nicky, rapidly scanning the columns. “What stuff they do print, to be sure! Here’s something about Grafted Gooseberry Plants! I should like to know who cares a button for that! On Friday a butcher exposed his wife for sale in Smithfield Market ... Lord! Curious Incident at Rotherhithe: A young whale came up the river ... I wish I might live in Rotherhithe, by Jupiter I do! A very elegant dinner given by the Lord Mayor at the Mansion House .... Oh, here we have it at last, but the meanest little snippet only! The body of the unfortunate young man which was discovered in Lincoln’s Inn Fields yesterday morning is now established to be that of a distinguished French Emigrant, well-known in Fashionable Circles. Well! the shabbiest thing! Oh, Ned, I would not have missed this for anything you could offer me! I shall go back to Highnoons at once, for depend upon it Cheviot will only be awaiting his chance to steal that document from us!”
“Yes,” Carlyon said slowly. “Yes.”
John looked at him narrowly. “What’s in your head?”
Carlyon returned no answer, but after a moment said abruptly, “I am going up to London. Nicky, will you tell them to bring round the light post-chaise as soon as they may?”
“Going to London?” repeated John. “What the devil for?”
“To try what I can discover there. I shall come back as speedily as I am able. Do you remain here, John, and keep Nicky from doing anything foolhardy! Nicky, understand me, you may stay at Highnoons and you may watch Francis Cheviot as much as you please as long as you can do so without his finding you a hindrance he might be tempted to remove out of his path. But on no account are you to run your head into danger!”
“Lord, Ned, I’m not afraid of a fellow like Francis Cheviot!”
“Francis Cheviot is a very dangerous man,” Carlyon said curtly, and left the room.
Nicky blinked at John. “What the deuce makes him think so?” he asked. “For of all the lily-livered—”
“I don’t know, but he was saying something of the sort to me the other night. Of course, if Francis has engaged himself to hand over a certain document to the French, and knows his partner in this pretty piece of treason to be dead, I dare say he will be as dangerous as a cornered rat. Now, mind you do as Ned tells you, Nick! I shall come over to Highnoons myself presently, but it’s not to be expected Francis will make any attempt to search the house during the day, for he would scarcely dare to run the risk of being discovered at that work. I have a good mind to spend the night at Highnoons, quite secretly, of course.”