“Not bad news, I hope?” said Mrs. Tipping, noticing his wrinkled brow.
“I can’t read without my glasses,” said the mate, with a measure of truth in the statement. He looked at Mrs. Tipping, and saw a chance of avoiding humiliation.
“P’r’aps you’d just look at it and see if it’s important,” he suggested.
Mrs. Tipping took the letter from him, and, after remarking on the strangeness of the handwriting, read aloud:—
“Dear Jack:—If you want to see Mr. Norton, come to 10, John Street, Walworth, and be careful nobody sees you.”
“Jack,” said the mate, stooping for the envelope.
“Why it must be meant for Mr.—for Jack Fraser.”
“Careful nobody sees you,” murmured Miss Tipping, excitedly, as she took the envelope from the mate; “why, the address is printed by hand.”
Mother and daughter looked at each other. It was evident that their thoughts were similar, and that one could have known them without the expenditure of the proverbial penny.
“I’ll give it to him when I see him,” remarked Ben, thrusting the letter in his pocket. “It don’t seem to be important. He ain’t in London, at present, I don’t think.”