“Not at home!” His voice indicated surprise.
“No, sir.”
“How long has he been absent?”
“About a month.”
“And is expected to return soon, no doubt?”
“As to that, I can't say. Few people in this town I apprehend, can speak with certainty as to the going and coming of Captain Allen.”
“Is he often away?”
“No, sir; but oftener of late than formerly.”
“Is his absence usually of a prolonged character?”
“It is much longer than it used to be—never less than a month, and often extended to three times that period.”