“What shall you do?”
“Well, Rimbolt says leave it to the lawyers. Of course we’ve no right to trap him, and Rimbolt thinks Wilkins & Wilkins had better not mention our names, but let him know they are acting for Forrester’s executors. If he’s not scared during the first visit or two, he may consent to see me, or Percy—and among us we may be able to help him out of his present condition, which, to judge by his letter, I should fancy is rather reduced. He has been asked to call at Wilkins’ on Wednesday, and they have promised to treat the matter as confidential—and we shall just have to trust they will manage to talk him round.”
Chapter Twenty Seven.
A Brand from the Burning!
Little suspecting the interest which his movements were causing elsewhere, Jeffreys, on the appointed Wednesday, presented himself at Messrs Wilkins & Wilkins’ office. He was so much changed by eight months’ misery and privation that no ordinary acquaintance would have recognised in the broken-down, haggard man who entered the office the once robust and stalwart librarian of Wildtree. Even Percy would have had to look at him twice to make sure.
Mr Wilkins looked up curiously at his visitor.
“Ah,” said he, “you have called in reference to that advertisement about Gerard Forrester. Quite so. Let me see. I have your letter here, Mr —”
“It is not necessary to know my name,” said Jeffreys.