“In a day or two I expect, perhaps sooner. But don’t call at the office; it will do no good. You may depend upon hearing from me as soon as I have anything to communicate.”
That day passed over, a second, and a third day of sickening suspense. How utterly powerless the poor parents felt! Lady Oldfield prayed, but oh, there were sad thoughts of bitter self-reproach mingling with her prayers. She could not but remember how she had herself been the chief hindrance to her son’s becoming a total abstainer when he was bent on making the attempt, and had avowed his intention. Oh, she would have given worlds now could she but recall the time, and her own words, when she had dissuaded him from renouncing those stimulants which had proved to him the cause of sin, ruin, and perhaps death. Yes; who could tell what might have been now had that unhappy remonstrance never passed her lips. Ah, it is easy to laugh down, or press down by a mother’s authority, the holy resolve of a child who sees the gigantic monster drunkenness in some of his hideous proportions, and would gladly take that step which would keep him, if leaning on grace for strength, free from the deadly snare; easy to laugh down or crush down that resolve; but oh, impossible to recall the past, impossible to give back to the utterly hardened drunkard his fresh vigorous intellect, his nervous moral power, his unstrained will, his unwarped conscience, his high and holy resolution! Lady Oldfield felt it; but the past was now gone from her, beyond the reach of effort, remorse, or prayer. At last, on the morning of the fourth day, the superintendent again made his appearance.
“Have you found him?” cried both parents in a breath.
“I believe I am on his tracks,” was the reply.
“Oh, thank God for that!” cried the poor mother, clasping her hands together. “He still lives then?”
“I cannot be sure, but I should think so.”
“Oh, then, cannot you take us to him?”
“No, madam, not yet; we are only on his tracks at present.”
“Would you tell us in what way you have proceeded?” asked Sir Thomas.
“Certainly. In the first place, the young man’s photograph was shown to all our constables. Some thought they knew the face, and could fix upon the right person in one of the low haunts they are acquainted with. But after a two days’ search they were all disappointed. Young men dress so much alike in these days that it’s often very difficult to tell who’s who till you see them very close. Then I had the likeness taken round to all the publicans’ wives, for the women are closer observers of features than the men. Some thought they’d seen such a face, some hesitated, one was quite sure she had. I could tell at once that she was right.”