“D’you go in there and I’ll—mebbe I’ll join you.”
But Clement was suspicious. “I am not going out of sight of the street,” he said.
“Lord!” contemptuously. “Your man’s gone these six hours. He’s many a mile on by now! You come into the stable.”
The fellow’s looks did not commend him. He was blear-eyed and under-sized, wearing a mangy rabbit-skin waistcoat, and no coat. He had the air of a postboy run to seed. Still, Clement thought it better to go with him, and in the stable, “Be you the gent that offered five pounds?” the man asked, turning upon him.
“I am.”
“Then fork out, squire. Open your purse, and I’ll open my mouth.”
“If you come with me to the constable——”
“Not I. I ben’t sharing with no constable. That is flat.”
“Well, what do you know?”
“What you want to know. Howsumdever, if you’ll give me your word you’ll act the gentleman?”