“You shall judge for yourself,” he replied. “I come from Mr. Rothsay, to say for him what he is not able to say for himself.”
“Where is he?”
“He has left England.”
“For any purpose that you know of?”
“Yes. He has sailed to join the expedition of rescue—I ought rather to call it the forlorn hope—which is to search for the lost explorers in Central Australia.”
In other words, he had gone to seek death in the fatal footsteps of Burke and Wills. I could not trust myself to speak.
The doctor saw that there was a reason for my silence, and that he would do well not to notice it. He changed the subject.
“May I ask,” he said, “if you have heard from the servants left in charge at your house in London?”
“Has anything happened?”
“Something has happened which they are evidently afraid to tell you, knowing the high opinion which you have of Mrs. Mozeen. She has suddenly quitted your service, and has gone, nobody knows where. I have taken charge of a letter which she left for you.”