“I am very glad to hear it,” said Mrs. Heritage, in her wealthy ignorance of such uncles, and amid the stifled merriment of the young people.
“What I mean,” said Tom, “is, he meant to put it up the spout.”
“Up the spout!” said Mrs. Heritage, in augmented astonishment. “He meant to hide it?”
Tom nodded assent.
“He meant to pawn it, he means,” said Mr. Woodburn. “That’s his slang,” seeing that Thorsby’s good manners were choking him.
“Oh, that was it!” said Mrs. Heritage.
“Yes, that was just it,” said Tom. “I went off with a sad heart on the errand, but I soon had a sadder. When I went into my captain’s room, the watch was not there. I called the landlady, and said, ‘Who has taken Captain Chillington’s watch away?’
“‘His watch?’ said the landlady, ‘why, he sent for it!’
“‘Sent for it!—by whom?’ said I.
“‘Why, a young man, in a dark grey livery and silver-laced hat, came for it. He said he was Major Need’s man, and Captain Chillington had asked him to come and fetch his watch from the parlour mantel-piece, and his overcoat from the peg in the passage.’