This window, you may remember, faces north, and
now as I lift my eyes I can see that the shadow is still dark
over London, and very threatening. Come to me soon,
and that God may keep all shadows from you is the
prayer of Your
CLEONE.
"Now," said he, "I should like to take the liberty o' axing you one
or two questions, Mr. Barty, sir,--or as I should say, p'r'aps,
Mr. Beverley."
"What," exclaimed Barnabas, starting up, "it's you again, Mr. Shrig?"
"That werry same i-dentical, sir. Disguises again, ye see. Yesterday,
a journeyman peg-maker vith a fine lot o' pegs as I didn't vant to
sell--to-day a groom looking for a job as I don't need. Been
a-keeping my ogles on Number Vun and Number Two, and things is
beginning to look werry rosy, sir, yes, things is werry promising
indeed."
"How do you mean?"
"Vell, to begin vith," said Mr. Shrig, taking the chair Barnabas
proffered, "you didn't 'appen to notice as that theer letter had
been broke open and sealed up again, did ye?"
"No," said Barnabas, staring at what was left of the seal.
"No, o' course you didn't--you opened it too quick to notice
anything--but I did."
"Oh, surely not--"
"That theer letter," said Mr. Shrig impressively, "vas wrote you by
a certain lady, vasn't it?"
"Yes."
"And I brought you that theer letter, didn't I?"
"Yes, but--"
"And 'oo do ye suppose give me that theer letter, to bring to
you,--the lady? Oh no! I'll tell you 'oo give it me,--it vas--shall ve
say, Number Two, the Accessory afore the fact,--shall ve call 'im C.?
Werry good! Now, 'ow did C. or Number Two, 'appen to give me that
theer letter? I'll tell you. Ven Number Vun and Number Two, B. and C.,
vent down to Hawkhurst, I vent down to Hawkhurst. They put up at the
'Qveen's 'ead,' so I 'angs about the 'Qveen's 'ead,'--offers myself
as groom--I'm 'andy vith an 'orse--got in the 'abit o' doing odd
jobs for Number Vun and Number Two, and, last night, Number Two
gives me that theer letter to deliver, and werry pertickler 'e vas
as I should give it into your werry own daddle, 'e also gives me a
guinea and tells as 'ow 'e don't vant me no more, and them's the
circumstances, sir."
"But," said Barnabas in frowning perplexity, "I don't understand.
How did he get hold of the letter?"