CHAPTER NINE.
ON THE SCENT, BUT PUZZLED.
It was a considerable time after the fire before my leg permitted me toresume my studies and my duties among the poor. Meanwhile I had becomea regularly-established inmate of Mr Dobson's house, and washalf-jocularly styled "Dr McTougall's assistant."
I confess that I had some hesitation at first in accepting such generoushospitality, but, feeling that I could not help myself till my legshould recover, I became reconciled to it. Then, as time advanced,the doctor--who was an experimental chemist, as well as aJack-of-all-trades--found me so useful to him in his laboratory, that Ifelt I was really earning my board and lodging. Meanwhile Lilly Blythehad been sent to visit an aunt of Dr McTougall's in Kent for thebenefit of her health.
This was well. I felt it to be so. I knew that her presence would havea disturbing influence on my studies, which were by that time nearlycompleted. I felt, also, that it was madness in me to fall in love witha girl whom I could not hope to marry for years, even if she werewilling to have me at all, which I very much doubted.
I therefore resolved to put the subject away from me, and devote myselfheartily to my profession, in the spirit of that Word which tells usthat whatsoever our hands find to do we should do it with our might.
Success attended my efforts. I passed all my examinations with credit,and became not only a fixture in the doctor's family, but as heearnestly assured me, a very great help to him.
Of course I did not mention the state of my feelings towards LillyBlythe to any one--not being in the habit of having confidants--exceptindeed, to Dumps. In the snug little room just over the front door,which had been given to me as a study, I was wont to pour out many of mysecret thoughts to my doggie, as he sat before me with cocked ears anddemonstrative tail.
"You've been the making of me, Dumps," said I, one evening, not longafter I had reached the first round of the ladder of my profession. "Itwas you who introduced me to Lilly Blythe, and through her to DrMcTougall, and you may be sure I shall never forget that! Nay, you mustnot be too demonstrative. When your mistress left you under my care shesaid, half-jocularly, no doubt that I was not to steal your heart fromher. Wasn't that absurd, eh? As if any heart could be stolen from_her_! Of course I cannot regain your heart, Dumps, and I will not evenattempt it--`Honour bright,' as Robin Slidder says. By the way, thatreminds me that I promised to go down to see old Mrs Willis this verynight, so I'll leave you to the tender mercies of the littleMcTougalls."
As I walked down the Strand my last remark to Dumps recurred to me, andI could not help smiling as I thought of the "tender mercies" to which Ihad referred. The reader already knows that the juvenile McTougallswere somewhat bloodthirsty in their notions of play. When Dumps wasintroduced to their nursery--by that time transferred from Dobson'sdining-room to an upper floor--they at once adopted him with open arms.Dumps seemed to be willing, and, fortunately, turned out to be a dog ofexceptionally good-nature. He was also tough. No amount of squeezing,bruising, pulling of the ears or tail, or falling upon him, eitheraccidentally or on purpose, could induce him to bite. He did, indeed,yell hideously at times, when much hurt, and he snarled, barked, yelped,growled, and showed his teeth continually, but it was all in play, forhe was dearly fond of romps.
Fortunately, the tall nurse had been born without nerves. She was wontto sit serene in a corner, darning innumerable socks, while a tornadowas going on around her. Dumps became a sort of continual sacrifice.On all occasions when a criminal was to be decapitated, a burglarhanged, or a martyr burned, Dumps was the victim; and many a time was herescued from impending and real death by the watchful nurse, who was toowell aware of the innocent ignorance of her ferocious charges to leaveDumps entirely to their tender mercies.
On reaching Mrs Willis's little dwelling, I found young Slidderofficiating at the tea-table. I could not resist watching him a momentthrough a crack in the door before entering.
"Now then," said he, "'ere you are! Set to work, old Sneezer, with awill!"
The boy had got into a facetious way of calling Mrs Willis by any termof endearment that suggested itself at the moment, which would have beenhighly improper and disrespectful if it had not been the outflow of pureaffection.
The crack in the door was not large enough to permit of my seeing MrsWillis herself as she sat in her accustomed window with thespout-and-chimney-pot view. I could only see the withered old hand heldtremblingly out for the smoking cup of tea, which the boy handed to herwith a benignant smile, and I could hear the soft voice say--"Thank you,Robin--dear boy--so like!"
"I tell you what it is, granny," returned Slidder, with a frown, "I'llgive you up an' 'and you over to the p'leece if you go on comparin' meto other people in that way.--Now, then, 'ave some muffins. They're all'ot and soaked in butter, old Gummy, just the wery thing for your teeth.Fire away, now! Wot's the use o' me an' Dr McTougall fetchin' younice things if you won't eat 'em?"
"But I _will_ eat 'em, Robin, thankfully."
"That ain't the way, old 'ooman," returned the boy, helping himselflargely to the viands which he so freely dispensed; "it's notthankfully, but heartily, you ought to eat 'em."
"Both, Robin, both."
"Not at all, granny. We asked a blessin' fust, now, didn't we? Vell,then, wot we've to do next is to go in and win heartily. Arter thatit's time enough to be thankful."
"What a boy it is!" responded Mrs Willis.
I saw the withered old hand disappear with a muffin in it in thedirection of the old mouth, and at this point I entered.
"The wery man I wanted to see," exclaimed Slidder, jumping up with whatI thought unusual animation, even for him.
"Come along, doctor, just in time for grub. Mrs W hain't eat up allthe muffins yet. Fresh cup an' saucer; clean plate; ditto knife; noneed for a fork; now then, sit down."
Accepting this hearty invitation, I was soon busy with a muffin, whileMrs Willis gave a slow, elaborate, and graphic account of the sayingsand doings of Master Slidder, which account, I need hardly say, was muchin his favour, and I am bound to add that he listened to it with pleasedsolemnity.
"Now then, old flatterer, w'en you've quite done, p'raps you'll tell thedoctor that I wants a veek's leave of absence, an' then, p'raps you'lllisten to what him an' me's got to say on that p'int. Just keep astuffin' of yourself with muffins, an' don't speak."
The old lady nodded pleasantly, and began to eat with apparently renewedappetite, while I turned in some surprise.
"A week's leave of absence?" said I.
"Just so--a veek's leave of absence--furlow if you prefers to call itso. The truth is, I wants a 'oliday wery bad. Granny says so, an' Ithinks she's right. D'you think my constitootion's made o' brass, orcast-iron, or bell-metal, that I should be able to york on an' on forever, black, black, blackin' boots an' shoes, without a 'oliday? W'y,lawyers, merchants, bankers--even doctors--needs a 'oliday now an' then;'ow much more shoeblacks!"
"Well," said I, with a laugh, "there is no reason why shoeblacks shouldnot require and desire a holiday as much as other people, only it'sunusual--because they cannot afford it, I suppose."
"Ah! `that's just w'ere the shoe pinches'--as a old gen'leman shouted tome t'other day, with a whack of his umbreller, w'en I scrubbed 'is cornstoo hard. `Right you are, old stumps,' says I, `but you'll have to paytuppence farden hextra for that there whack, or be took up for assaultan' battery.' D'you know that gen'leman larfed, he did, like a 'iaena,an' paid the tuppence down like a man. I let 'im off the farden inconsideration that he 'adn't got one, an' I had no change.--Vell, toreturn to the p'int--vich was wot the old toper remarked to his wifeevery night--I've bin savin' up of late."
"Saving up, have you?"
"Yes, them penny banks 'as done it. W'y, it ain't a wirtue to be savin'now-a-days, or good, or that sort o' thing. What between citymissionaries, an' Sunday-schools, an' penny banks, an cheap wittles, andgrannies like this here old sneezer, it's hardly possible for a youn
gfeller to go wrong, even if he was to try. Yes, I've bin an' savedenough to give me a veek's 'oliday, so I'm goin' to 'ave my 'oliday inthe north. My 'ealth requires it."
Saying this, young Slidder began to eat another muffin with a degree ofzest that seemed to give the lie direct to his assertion, so that Icould not refrain from observing that he did not seem to be particularlyill.
"Ain't I though?" he remarked, elongating his round rosy face as much aspossible. "That's 'cause you judge too much by appearances. It ain'tmy body that's wrong--it's my spirit. That's wot's the matter with_me_. If you only saw the inside o' my mind you'd be astonished."
"I thoroughly believe you," said I, laughing. "And do you really advisehim to go, granny?"
"Yes, my dear, I do," replied Mrs Willis, in her sweet, though feebletones. "You've no idea how he's been slaving and working about me. Ihave strongly advised him to go, and, you know, good Mrs Jones willtake his place. She's as kind to me as a daughter."
The mention of the word _daughter_ set the poor creature meditating onher great loss. She sighed deeply, and turned her poor old eyes on mewith a yearning, inquiring look. I was accustomed to the look by thistime, and having no good news to give her, had latterly got into a wayof taking no notice of it. That night, however, my heart felt so sorefor her that I could not refrain from speaking.
"Ah! dear granny," said I, laying my hand gently on her wrist, "wouldthat I had any news to give you, but I have none--at least not atpresent. But you must not despair. I have failed up to this time, itis true, although my inquiries have been frequent, and carefullyconducted; but you know, such a search takes a long time, and--andLondon is a large place."
The unfinished muffin dropped from the old woman's hand, and she turnedwith a deep sigh to the window, where the blank prospect was a not inaptreflection of her own blank despair.
"Never more!" she said, "never more!"
"Hope thou in God, for thou shalt yet praise Him, who is the health ofthy countenance, and thy God," was all that I could say in reply. ThenI turned to the boy, who sat with his eyes cast down as if in deepthought, and engaged him in conversation on other subjects, by way ofdiverting the old woman's mind from the painful theme.
When I rose to go, Slidder said he would call Mrs Jones to mount guard,and give me a convoy home.
No sooner were we in the street than he seized my hand, and, in a voiceof unusual earnestness, said--
"I've got on 'er tracks!"
"Whose tracks? What do you mean?"
"On Edie's, to be sure--Edie Willis."
Talking eagerly and fast, as we walked along, little Slidder told me howhe had first been put on the scent by his old friend and fellow-waif,the Slogger. That juvenile burglar, chancing to meet with Slidder,entertained him with a relation of some of his adventures. Amongothers, he mentioned having, many months before, been out one afternoonwith a certain Mr Brassey, rambling about the streets with an eye toany chance business that might turn up, when they observed a young andvery pretty girl looking in at various shop windows. She was obviouslya lady, but her dress showed that she was very poor. Her manner andcolour seemed to imply that she was fresh from the country. The twothieves at once resolved to fleece her. Brassey advised the Slogger "tocome the soft dodge over her," and entice her, if possible, into aneighbouring court. The Slogger, agreeing, immediately ran and placedhimself on a doorstep which the girl was about to pass. Then he coveredhis face with his hands, and began to groan dismally, while Mr Brassey,with native politeness, retired from the scene. The girl, having anunsuspicious nature, and a tender heart, believed the tale of woe whichthe boy unfolded, and went with him to see "his poor mother," who hadjust fallen down in a fit, and was dying at that moment for want ofphysic and some one to attend to her. She suggested, indeed, that theSlogger should run to the nearest chemist, but the Slogger said it wouldbe of no use, and might be too late. Would she just run round an' seeher? The girl acted on the spur of the moment. In her exuberantsympathy she hurried down an alley, round a corner, under an archway,and walked straight into the lion's den!
There Mr Brassey, the lion, promptly introduced himself, and requestedthe loan of her purse and watch! The poor girl at once understood herposition, and turned to fly, but a powerful hand on her arm preventedher. Then she tried to shriek, but a powerful hand on her mouthprevented that also. Then she fainted. Not wishing to be found in anawkward position, Mr Brassey and the Slogger searched her pocketshastily, and, finding nothing therein, retired precipitately from thescene, taking her little dog with them. As they did so the young girlrecovered, sprang wildly up, and rushing back through the court andalley, dashed into the main thoroughfare. The two thieves saw herattempt to cross, saw a cab-horse knock her down, saw a crowd rush tothe spot and then saw no more, owing to pressing engagements requiringtheir immediate presence elsewhere.
"There--that's wot the Slogger told me," said little Slidder, withflushed cheeks and excited looks, "an' I made him give me an exactdescription o' the gal, which was a facsimilar o' the pictur' painted o'Miss Edie Willis by her own grandmother--as like as two black cats."
"This is interesting, _very_ interesting, my boy," said I, stopping andlooking at the pavement; "but I fear that it leaves us no clew withwhich to prosecute the search."
"Of course it don't," rejoined Robin, with one of his knowing looks;"but do you think I'd go an aggrawate myself about the thing if I 'adn'tmore to say than that?"
"Well, what more have you to say?"
"Just this, that ever since my talk wi' the Slogger I've bin making werypartikler inquiries at all the chemists and hospitals round about wherehe said the accident happened, an' I've diskivered one hospital where I'appens to know the porter, an' I got him to inwestigate, an' he foundthere was a case of a young gal run over on the wery day this happened.She got feverish, he says, an' didn't know what she was sayin' formonths, an' nobody come to inquire arter her, an when she began to gitwell she sent to Vitechapel to inquire for 'er grandmother, but 'ergrandmother was gone, nobody knowed where. Then the young gal got wuss,then she got better, and then she left, sayin' she'd go back to 'er old'ome in York, for she was sure the old lady must have returned there.So _that's_ the reason w'y I'm goin' to recruit my 'ealth in the north,d'ye see? But before I go wouldn't it be better that you should makesome inwestigations at the hospital?"
I heartily agreed to this, and went without delay to the hospital,where, however, no new light was thrown on the subject. On thecontrary, I found, what Slidder had neglected to ascertain, that thename of the girl in question was _not_ Edie Willis, but Eva Bright, acircumstance which troubled me much, and inclined me to believe that wehad got on a false scent; but when I reflected on the othercircumstances of the case I still felt hopeful. The day of Edie'sdisappearance tallied exactly with the date of the robbing of the girlby Brassey and the Slogger. Her personal appearance, too, as describedby the Slogger, corresponded exactly with the description given of hergranddaughter by Mrs Willis; and, above all, the sending of a messengerfrom the hospital by the girl to inquire for her "grandmother, MrsWillis," were proofs too strong to be set aside by the mystery of thename.
In these circumstances I also resolved to take a holiday, and join RobinSlidder in his trip to York.