"That's all, my lad. I only stopped you to prevent you from following my friend."
"You said you knew me."
"Never saw you or heard of you before in my life," chuckled he, evidently pleased at the trick he had played upon me.
I left him, and rushed into the hotel. I looked for Lynch in all the public rooms, but I could not find him. I inquired at the office for him, and the clerks answered me, very curtly, that no such person was in the house. I asked a porter, who sat near the entrance, describing Lynch. He had seen the gentleman, but did not know where he was; he had not taken a room or registered his name, and had probably gone away again. It seemed to me that everything was going against me. I had to go home to dinner, as I could spend no more time in looking for him then; but I determined to renew the search in the evening.
As I walked down Fourth Street, I overtook Farringford, who had evidently spent a portion of the dollar borrowed of Lynch for liquor. I accosted him, for I thought that I might recover my money through his agency, as he evidently knew Lynch.
"Ah, my lad! You didn't find him," chuckled the toper.
"I did not. I have heard of you, Mr. Farringford, and I can put you in the way of making some money."
"Can you? Then I'm your man. Most distinctly, I'm your man," he replied with emphasis. "There's only two things in this world that I want, and those are money and whiskey. If I get the whiskey, I don't care for the money; and if I have the money, I can always get the whiskey."
"I should like to meet you somewhere this evening, for I am in a hurry now."
"I will be in the bar-room of the Planters' Hotel at seven o'clock this evening, if you have any money for me. But what's it all about? Can't you tell me now?"