Ah! here he was at last.
No. It was Mr Merrett who appeared at the door with an extremely long face; and looking round the office, fixed his eyes on me, and said, “Batchelor—come in here!”
I obeyed.
Instead of going in as usual before me, he waited till I had entered, and then followed me, closing the door behind him.
What on earth does it all mean?
Mr Barnacle sat looking straight before him through his spectacles. Hawkesbury also sat at the table, twisting a quill pen backwards and forwards with his fingers.
“Hawkesbury,” said Mr Merrett, as he re-entered, “you might leave us, please. I will call you when you are wanted.”
Hawkesbury, without looking at me, rose to obey. As he reached the door, Mr Merrett stepped after him, and whispered something. At ordinary times I should not have heard what he whispered, or thought of listening for it. But there was such a silence in the room, and my nerves were strung up to such a pitch, that I distinctly caught the words.
What I heard was this—
“Fetch a policeman!”