"I will."
The man whistled.
"Will is a short word, my dear, for you to use. How do you mean to do it, eh?"
A door opened, and with his hat on, ready to go out, Sir Richard Blunt himself appeared. Another minute and Arabella would have missed him, and then God knows where, for the next twelve hours, he would be.
"What is this, Davis?" he said.
"Here's a little 'un, says she will see you, Sir Richard."
"Ah, thank God!" cried Arabella, rushing forward and catching a tight hold of the magistrate by the arm. "Yes, I will see you, sir; I have a matter of life and death to speak to you of."
"Walk in," said Sir Richard. "Don't hurry yourself in the least, Miss. Pray be composed; I am quite at your disposal."
Arabella followed him into a small room. She still kept close to him, and in her eagerness she placed her hand upon her breast, as she said—
"Sir—sir. You—and you only. Todd, Todd—oh, God! he will kill her, and I am more her murderer than he. Johanna—Johanna, my poor Johanna!"