'It is a comfort to talk it over with some one, Ned. You were a police-officer for some time out in India, I think, and may be able to see your way through this business. Danvers has been very kind about it, but so far nothing has come of his suggestions.'
'My Indian police experience is not much to the point. I had a police district for a year, but my duties consisted principally in hunting down criminals. Have you told Lord Halliburn?'
'Yes; as soon as the second letter came I went to him; it was only right that he should know.'
'Certainly. How did he take it, Mr. Hawtrey? if I may ask.'
'He was naturally annoyed at it; though, of course, he agreed with me that it was simply a piece of malice1. A detective, to whom Danvers had spoken, without mentioning any name, suggested that it might be the work of some woman who had a grudge3 against him, or felt herself aggrieved4 at his engagement. I mentioned this to him, and he assured me that, so far as he knew, there was no one who had any complaint against him, and that he had never had any entanglement6 of any kind.'
'It is a horribly annoying thing, Mr. Hawtrey, and I am sure Miss Hawtrey must feel it very much. I thought she was not looking quite herself when I met her at dinner the night before last. Still, there must be some way of getting to the bottom of it. If it is not the work of an enemy, either of Lord Halliburn or of your daughter, it may be the work of one who has an enmity against yourself—one who is striking at you through yours.'
'That is just possible, Ned; but beyond men I have sentenced on the bench I don't know of anyone who would put himself out of his way to annoy me. Assuredly this cannot be the work of any Lincolnshire rustic7.'
'But you have certainly one enemy who is just the sort of man to conceive and carry out such a blackguard business as this—I mean that man who was impertinent to you on the racecourse, and whose history you told us that evening.'
'I had not thought of him. Yes, that suggestion is certainly a probable one. He is evidently deeply impressed with the sense of injury, though, Heaven knows, I did not have the slightest ill-feeling against him, but was driven to do what I did by his own courses, and especially by his father's earnest request that he should not succeed him. There is no doubt as to his malice, and there can be as little as to his unscrupulousness.'
'Danvers and I were both of opinion, Mr. Hawtrey, that by his tone and manner when he spoke2 to you about payment of debts, that he had already done you some injury or had some distinct plan in his head. At that time your daughter was not engaged to Lord Halliburn, and his ideas may have been vague ones until the public notice of the engagement met his eye, when he may have said to himself, "This is my opportunity for taking my revenge, by annoying both father and daughter."'
'It is possible, Ned. I can hardly bring myself to think that the son of my old friend would be capable of such a dastardly action, but I admit that there is at least a motive9 in his case, and that I can see none in that of anyone else.'
'At any rate, Mr. Hawtrey, here is a clue worth following, and as I have nothing whatever to do, and my own time hangs rather heavily on my hands, I will, if you will allow me, undertake to follow it up.'
'But with no evidence against him, not a particle, what can you do, Ned?'
'My business will be to get evidence. The first thing is to find out where the fellow lives, and to have him watched and followed, and if possible, caught in the act of posting one of these letters.'
'Remember, Ned, I would above all things avoid publicity10, for Dorothy's sake. Nothing is more hateful than for a girl to be talked about, and it is only as a last resource that I would bring a charge against him at the Police Court.'
'I can quite understand that, and will certainly call in no police to my aid until I have previously11 consulted you and received your sanction to do so. It will be easy enough to find him, for I should know him in an instant, and shall probably meet him at the first racecourse I go to. It is not as if I knew nothing of his habits.'
For the next week Captain Hampton frequented every racecourse within a short distance of London, but without meeting the man he was looking for. Men of the same class were there in scores—some boisterous12, some oily-mouthed, some unmitigated ruffians, others crafty13 rogues14.
Several times he accosted15 one of these men, and inquired if he had seen a betting man having the name of Marvel16 on his hat; each time the response was the same.
'I have not seen him here to-day. I know who you mean well enough, but he is not here. I can lay you the odds17 if you like. You would be safe with me.'
Further inquiry18 elicited19 the conjecture20 that 'he might have gone up North, or to some other distant races.'
'There are two meetings pretty well every day,' one said, 'sometimes three, and a man cannot be at them all. What do you want him for? If it is to get money out of him, you won't find the job a very easy one, unless he has happened to strike on a vein21 of luck. You had much better take the odds from me.'
Captain Hampton explained that his business was a private one, and altogether unconnected with betting.
'Well, if you will give me your name I will let him know that you want to see him, if I happen to run up against him. I should say that he will be at Reading next week.'
But Captain Hampton said his name would be unknown to Marvel, and the bookmaker, after looking him over suspiciously, concluded that it was of no use wasting further time, and turning away set up a stentorian22 shout of 'Six to one, bar one.'
Captain Hampton tried Reading, but was as unsuccessful here as in his previous attempts.
'Want Marvel?' one man he asked repeated. 'Well, I have not seen him here, and I haven't seen him for the last ten days; so I expect he has either gone down on a country tour, or he is ill, or he is so short of the dibs that he can't pay his fare down. He would be here if he could; for he would manage to make enough money to pay his expenses, anyhow. It is hard when a man cannot do that.'
Captain Hampton was not to be baffled, and after examining a sporting paper took a ticket early next morning for the North. He was away a week, and returned home disheartened. He had not seen the man nor did any of those he had questioned know the name of Marvel. 'It is like enough I may know the man,' one said confidentially23, 'but I don't know the name; names don't go for much in the outside ring. A man is Marvel one day, and if when the racing25 is over he cannot pay his bets and has to go off quiet, he alters the cut of his hair next time and puts a fresh name on his hat, and is ready to take his davy, if questioned, that he was not near the course, and never heard the name of Marvel; and as he is sure to have some one with him to back him up and swear that he was with him at the other side of England on that day, the chap as wants his money concludes that he may as well drop it.'
The day after his return Ned Hampton went to Epsom and there recognised with a start of satisfaction the man of whom he was in search. He had no name in his hat, and was talking to two or three men of his own class, one of whom he recognised as the man who had offered to tell Marvel that he wished to see him. He moved up in the crowd, and placed himself close to the men, but with his back towards them. Marvel was speaking.
'But what sort of fellow was he?'
'And he said I should not know his name? I should know it sharp enough if it was down in my book without a pencil mark through the bet. There are people, you know, who, quite accidentally of course, I haven't settled up with.'
There was a laugh among the group. 'A good many I should fancy, Jacob, but I don't think this chap could have been one of them. A man who has been left in the lurch27 generally takes it out in strong language. If this chap had wanted you for a tenner and you had not forked over, he would probably have spoken of you as a swindling scoundrel and said that if he met you he would take it out of you in another way if he could not get the money. Now he didn't seem put out at all; he wanted to see you about something or other, but I don't think it was anything to do with money. I can always tell when there is anything wrong about that. A man may put it as mild as he likes, but there is something in it that says he is nasty.'
'Well, I don't want to see him whoever he is,' Marvel said, 'so if he comes across any of you again tell him you hear I've retired28, or that I have drowned myself, or anything else you like, but that anyhow I ain't likely to be on any of the courses again this season. And mind, you don't know anything about where I live or where he is likely to get any news of me.'
'But where have you been the last fortnight, Jacob?'
'I have been on another job altogether, and if it turns out well you ain't likely to see much more of me here. I have had about enough of it.'
As he found that he was not likely to hear more, Hampton moved away in the crowd, but continued to keep Marvel in sight. In two or three minutes the man separated from his companions, moved off the course, and stood for a minute or two with his hands in his pockets, meditating29. Then his mind was made up. He pushed his way through the crowd, crossed the course, and walked quickly towards one of the entrances. Captain Hampton followed him closely, and was by no means surprised to see him walk to the station.
'He is evidently nervous about what they have told him,' he said to himself, 'and although he cannot tell what my business with him may be, he is determined30 to avoid me. All the better; I should have had great difficulty in keeping my eye on him in the crowd later on, and now I won't lose sight of him again.'
Entering the station, the man waited until a train came up and then took his place in a third class carriage. Hampton entered the next compartment31, but, to his great annoyance32, found on arriving at Waterloo that Marvel was not in the carriage.
'Confound it,' he muttered angrily, 'he must have slipped out at one of the other stations without my noticing him. It must have been at Vauxhall, just as those four men were pushing past me to get out. I am a nice sort of fellow to take up the amateur detective business. To hunt for a man for nearly three weeks and then when I have found him to lose him again like this. I will go across and see Danvers. Of course he will have the laugh against me. Well, I can't help that; I will take his advice about it. I am evidently not fit to manage by myself.'
'Hullo, Hampton, where do you spring from? Everyone has missed you from your accustomed haunts. Some said you had eloped with an heiress; others that you are wanted for forgery34. I met the Hawtreys last night at dinner. They both asked me after you. The young lady quite seemed to take your disappearance35 to heart. The more so, I think, because she had sent down a servant with a note to your lodgings36, and the girl had learnt from your landlady37 that you had been away for a week. Of course, I could not enlighten her. Her father took me apart and asked me quite seriously about you. He seemed to think that you had been trying to ferret out something about this confounded letter business. He told me he had talked it over with you, regarding you as almost one of the family.'
'You don't mean to say that!' Danvers exclaimed in affected38 surprise. 'Well, I know you used to do it at school sometimes, but I hoped that you had got out of the habit.'
'Bosh!' Hampton laughed. 'But I own I have done it this time. You remember that fellow on the racecourse?'
'You mean at the Oaks. Of course I remember him.'
'Well, it struck me that he might be the man who had sent the letters. He had, as Hawtrey told us in the evening, a bitter grudge against him, and such a dirty trick as this was just the sort of thing that a disreputable broken-down knave39 like him might concoct40 to gratify his malice.'
'You are right there; I wonder the idea did not occur to me. Well, I retract41 what I said just now; so far you have told me nothing to justify42 the epithet43 you bestowed44 on yourself.'
'My first idea,' Hampton went on, without noticing the interruption, 'was that as I had nothing particular to do I would go down to some of the races near town where I felt certain I should find him, follow the fellow back, and track him to his home. Then I had intended to come to you and ask your advice as to the next step to be taken.'
'There you showed your sagacity again, Hampton. Well, what came of it?'
'I went for a fortnight to every racecourse near town and asked after Marvel from bookmakers of his stamp. They all seemed rather surprised at his absence, and suggested that perhaps having failed to pay up here he had gone to one of the country meetings up in the North. I was up in Yorkshire for a week but with no better result. I came up last night and went to Epsom this morning and there spotted45 my man.' He then related the conversation he had overheard and the manner in which he had allowed the man to slip through his fingers. Danvers could not help laughing, though he, too, was vexed46.
'I can quite understand your missing him at Vauxhall, Hampton. Of course it is easy to be wise after the event. It would not have done for you to have got in the same compartment with him at Epsom. You don't look like a third-class passenger, and the idea that you were the military swell who had been enquiring47 after him would probably have occurred to him; but if you had got out at a station or two further on, and then taken your place in his carriage, that idea would hardly have entered his mind.'
'Well, the result is I have thrown away three weeks of my leave in taking a lot of trouble and we are no nearer than we were before.'
'Not much, except that we have learnt that the man is engaged on a different matter, in which he intends to make money, and also that there is but little probability of his being met with again for some time on a racecourse. Of course, this business may be altogether unconnected with that of the Hawtreys, but on the other hand it may be. I am afraid there is little clue left for us to follow up. Getting out at Vauxhall might mean that he lived in that neighbourhood, or at Camberwell, or Peckham, or Kennington, or anywhere about there; or he might have crossed the river, and there is all the region between Chelsea and Westminster to choose from. If we knew that he went under the name of Marvel something might be done, but it is a hundred to one against that being the name he goes by in his domestic circle. If you have come to me for advice I can give you none; I can see nothing whatever to do but to wait for new developments. Have you seen the "Liar48" this week?'
'No; I never look at it.'
'Well, you see there is a nasty paragraph there that unmistakably alludes49 to the affair. I have no doubt it is Halliburn's doing; he got so annoyed at these letters keeping on coming—and indeed it seems that some have been sent to him with 'Look before you leap,' 'Be sure that all is right before it is too late,' and things of that sort—that he went off to Scotland Yard, kicked up a row there, showed the envelopes he had received to the authorities, and gave them the whole history about the others. Of course, they promised that they would do what they could, and equally of course they will be able to do nothing. Well, I suppose some understrapper there got to hear of it, and probably sold the thing to one of the men who gather up garbage for the "Liar." I have got the paper. There, that is the paragraph: "There is a possibility that a marriage that has been arranged in high life may not come off after all. The noble lord who was to figure as bridegroom has received the unpleasant information that the young lady has been pestered50 with demands for money in exchange for compromising letters, and has himself received missives calculated to make one in his position extremely uncomfortable. Further developments may be looked for."'
'It is scandalous,' Captain Hampton exclaimed passionately51, 'that a blackguard rag like this is allowed to exist!'
'Quite so, Hampton; I agree with you most heartily52. Still, there it is, and others like it, and we have got to put up with it. If it had not been for that fool, Halliburn, taking things into his hands this notice would never have got in. One of Hawtrey's servants came round in a cab to fetch me this morning. I found him foaming53 with rage, talking about horsewhipping and all sorts of things. It is curious how that sort of thing still lingers in the minds of country squires54. I told him, of course, that would make it ten times worse. Then he talked of an action, and I said, "Now, my dear Mr. Hawtrey, you are getting altogether beyond my province. As a friend I am very glad to give you my advice as long as it is merely a question of endeavouring to find out the authors of these libels. Now it has assumed an altogether different phase, and you must go to your lawyer for advice. I am sure that he will tell you that you can do nothing, especially as in point of fact the statements are perfectly56 true. Still, there is no saying how far the thing will go, and whether it may not be necessary eventually to take legal steps; therefore it is only fair to your solicitor58 that you should put him in possession of the whole circumstances as far as they have gone."
'"Very well," he said, "I will go down at once to Harper and Hawes, and take their advice about it."'
'There is one comfort,' Captain Hampton said; 'there are not many people who will understand to whom this paragraph relates. I suppose there have been a dozen lords of one sort and another who have become engaged during the season, so that, except for us who are behind the scenes, there is nothing to point distinctly to the identity of the parties.'
'You need not count on that,' Danvers said shortly. 'This paragraph is merely intended to whet57 the curiosity of the public. You will see that next week there will be another, saying that they are now able to state, beyond fear of contradiction, that the nobleman and young lady who have been persecuted59 by anonymous60 letters are Lord Halliburn and Miss Hawtrey.'
'This sort of thing makes one regret that duelling has gone out of fashion,' Captain Hampton said savagely61. 'There is nothing would give me greater pleasure than to parade the editor of that blackguard paper at six o'clock to-morrow morning on Wimbledon Common!'
'It would no doubt be a pleasure to you, my dear Hampton,' Danvers said tranquilly62, 'and the result might be a matter of unmingled satisfaction to all decent people; but, you see, it cannot be done. If it could have been he would have been shot years ago, noxious63 beast that he is. It being impossible, let us change the subject. What are you going to do this evening?'
'I am going to have dinner first.'
'It is only six o'clock, my dear fellow.'
'All the better. I want to get it over, so as to go round and catch the Hawtreys before they go out—that is to say, if they are going to a ball or anything of that sort, and not to a dinner; Mr. Hawtrey knows I have been doing what I could to find out this betting fellow, but has not mentioned it to his daughter, for the same reason, probably, that I have taken pains to avoid meeting them since I began the search. At any rate, I should not like her to think that I have been away for this three weeks on my own pleasure, in perfect indifference64 to the unpleasant position in which she is placed, so I shall go to report progress—or, rather, want of progress—and to assure them that I will continue the search until I have run this fellow to earth.'
Danvers looked at his friend through his half-closed eyes with a gleam of quiet amusement.
'The Indian sun does not seem to have cooled the enthusiasm of your youth, Hampton. You used to throw yourself then like a young demon65 into the middle of a football scrimmage, and rowed stroke in that four of yours till you rowed your crew to a standstill, and then tugged66 away all to yourself, till they got their wind again. To us, jaded67 men——'
'Shut up, man!' Hampton said hotly, 'this is no joking matter. Here is the honour and happiness of a girl who, when she was a little child, was very dear to me'—Danvers' eyes twinkled momentarily—'and I should be a brute68 if I did not do everything I could to put the matter straight; and I am quite sure,' he went on more quietly, 'that although, of course, they are not such friends of yours as they are of mine, you would spare no trouble yourself if you only saw any way in which you could be of real assistance.'
'Perhaps so, old man, perhaps so; but I should not get into fever heat about it. You see, the matter at present principally concerns Halliburn. It is his business and privilege to stand first in the line of defence of the character of the young lady to whom he is engaged.'
'And a nice mess he has made of his first move,' Captain Hampton agreed, pointing to the copy of the 'Liar.' 'Well, I won't wait any longer; they dine at seven o'clock when they are alone, and I will go round at eight on the chance of finding them in.'
Danvers sat looking at the empty grate for some minutes after he had left. 'It is about even betting, I should say,' he muttered to himself, 'and I think, if anything, the odds are slightly on Hampton, though he has not the slightest idea at present that he has entered for the race. The other one has got the start, but Hampton always had no end of last, and he will take every fence well, and it seems to me there are likely to be some awkward ones. Besides, I am not half sure that the other fellow will run straight when the pinch comes.'
When Captain Hampton presented himself at the house in Chester Square, he found, to his satisfaction, that Mr. Hawtrey and his daughter were at home.
'They have just finished dinner, sir,' the servant said; 'dessert is on the table.'
'Then I will go in,' Captain Hampton said, and, opening the dining-room door, walked in.
'I am presuming on my old footing to enter unceremoniously, Mr. Hawtrey,' he said.
'I am glad to see you. You are heartily welcome, Ned. This reminds one of old times indeed.'
Dorothy's welcome was sensibly cooler, while Mrs. Daintree, who had from the first set herself strongly against his intimacy69 at the house, was absolutely frigid70.
Ned saw that Dorothy's colour had perceptibly paled since he last saw her, and that she looked harassed71 and anxious.
'It is three weeks since I saw you,' he said.
'That was really very well done, Dorothy, and I quite understand what it means. You think I have been neglecting you altogether, and amusing myself while you were in trouble; and were that the case I should deserve all the snubbing, and more, that you could give me. I believe that your father has not told you what I have been doing, and I do not wish to enter into details now,' and he glanced towards Mrs. Daintree, 'but I feel that I must, in justice to myself, assure you that the whole of my time has been occupied in the matter, and that although I have no success to boast of, I have, at least, tried my very best to deserve it.'
'That is good of you, Ned,' the girl said brightly. 'I have been feeling a little hurt at your desertion, and thought it did not seem like you to leave me in trouble. I always used to rely upon you when I got into a scrape. I don't want to know what you have been doing, though father can tell me if he likes, but I am quite content to take your word for it. Now I must go; it is time for us to dress. I wish I could stay at home and have a quiet evening, but you see I am no longer quite my own mistress.'
'Well, Hampton, what have you been doing, and why have you not been to see me before? I heard you were in town—at least, I heard so ten days ago.'
'I should have come, sir, before, had I had anything to tell you. I have nothing much now, and in fact have to-day bungled73 matters considerably74; still, I shall start on a fresh search to-morrow, and hope to be luckier than I have been so far.' He then gave a detailed75 account of his visits to racecourses, of his meeting with Truscott that morning, of the conversation he had overheard, and of the manner in which the man had eluded76 him.
'Well, Ned, you certainly have deserved success, and I am indeed obliged to you for the immense trouble you have taken over the matter. It is too bad your spending your time over this annoying affair, when you are only home on a year's leave. What you have learned is, of course, no direct proof that Truscott has a hand in this affair; at the same time, what he said confirms to some extent your suspicions of him. Would it not be as well to put the search for him into the hands of a detective, now that there is some one definite to search for? One of these men might be useful, and I really would vastly rather employ one than know that you are spending day after day searching for him yourself. These men are accustomed to the work; they know exactly the persons to whom to apply; they have agents under them, who know infinitely77 better the sort of place where such a fellow would be likely to take up his quarters than you can do.'
'No doubt that is so,' Captain Hampton admitted reluctantly. 'I should have liked to have run him down myself, now that I have hunted him so long. Still, that is a matter of no importance, the great thing is to lose no time. I will get Danvers to give me a note to the man he spoke to first.'
'On my behalf, remember, Ned; he must be engaged on my behalf.'
'Very well, sir, if you wish it so; but I would rather that you and I arrange with him direct, and that it is not done by your solicitors78. Danvers told me that you were going to them this morning about that infamous79 paragraph in the "Liar."'
'Certainly they shall have nothing to do with it,' Mr. Hawtrey said hotly; 'I was a fool to go to them at all; I might as well have gone to two old women. They have been lawyers to our family for I don't know how many years, and are no doubt excellent men in their capacity of family lawyers, but this matter is altogether out of their line. They looked at each other like two helpless fools when I told them the story, and said at once that they would not undertake to advise me, but that I had better go to Levine, or one of the other men who are always engaged in these what they call delicate cases, that is to say, hideous80 scandals. However, I have made up my mind to keep clear of them all as far as I can; but, of course, I must be guided to some extent by Halliburn's opinion, or rather his wishes. As to his opinion, I have no confidence in it one way or the other. I'm glad you did not say anything about what you had been doing before my cousin; she is worrying herself almost into a fever about it, the more so because there is no one to whom she can talk about it. She means well, but were it not that just at present it is absolutely necessary that Dorothy should show herself everywhere with a perfectly unconcerned air, I would make some excuse to send Mrs. Daintree down to the country again; as it is, I must keep her as a chaperon, but she is very trying I assure you, and I believe would come into my study to cry over the affair half-a-dozen times a day, if I would but let her. Now, Ned, you must excuse me, the carriage will be round in a few minutes, and as, with one thing and another, I got back too late to dress for dinner, I have not another minute to spare. Shall I give you a note authorising you to arrange with the detective?'
'There is no occasion for that; I shall speak in your name, and as he will want to have an interview with you before long, you can then confirm any arrangement I have made as to his remuneration.'
Hampton called in on Danvers in the morning for the address of the detective, Slippen, and a card of introduction. The address was in Clifford's Inn, and on finding the number Hampton saw the name over a door on the ground floor. A sharp looking boy was sitting on a high stool swinging his legs. He evidently thought that amusement somewhat monotonous81 and was glad of a change, for he jumped down with alacrity82.
'The governor is in, sir, but he has got a party in with him. I will take your card in. I expect he will be glad to get rid of her, for she has been sobbing83 and crying in there awful.'
'I am in no particular hurry,' Captain Hampton said, amused at the boy's confidential24 manner.
'Divorce, I expect,' the lad went on, as Captain Hampton took a seat on the only chair in the dark little office. 'I allus notice that the first time they comes they usually goes on like that. After a time or two they takes it more business-like. They comes in brisk, and says, "Is Mr. Slippen in?" just the same as if they was asking for a cup of tea. When they goes out sometimes they look sour, and I knows then that he,' and he jerked his thumb towards the inner office, 'hasn't any news to tell 'em; sometimes they goes out looking red in the face and in a regular paddy, and you can see by the way they grips their umbrellas they would like to give it to some one.'
'You must find it dull sitting here all day. I suppose you haven't much writing to do?'
'I doesn't sit here much. I am mostly about. There ain't many as comes here of a day, and he can hear the knocker. Those as does come calls mostly in the morning, from ten to eleven. There, she is a-moving.'
The inner door opened, and a stout84 woman came out looking flushed and angry; the boy slid off his stool and opened the door for her, and then took Captain Hampton's card in. A moment later Mr. Slippen himself appeared at the door.
'Will you walk in, Captain Hampton? I am sorry to have kept you waiting. I rather expected,' he said, as he closed the door behind him, 'that I should have a call, either from Mr. Danvers or some one from him, when I saw that paragraph in the "Liar." I made sure it was the case he was speaking to me about, and I said to myself, "They are safe to be doing something now."'
'Yes, it is that case that I come about. I am here on the part of Mr. Hawtrey, the father of the young lady. I am an intimate friend of the family. Mr. Danvers gave you the heads of the matter.'
The detective nodded; he was a rather short, slightly-built man, with hair cut very short and standing85 up aggressively; his eyes were widely opened, with a sharp, quick movement as they glanced from one point to another, but the general expression of the face was pleasant and good-tempered.
'He told you my opinion so far as I could form it from the very slight data he gave me?'
'Yes, you thought at first that the writer of the threats really had possession of compromising letters; but upon hearing that she was engaged you thought it likely that the letters might be the work of some aggrieved or disappointed woman.'
'That is it, sir.'
'So far as we can see,' Captain Hampton went on, 'neither view was correct; certainly the first was not. We have, as we think, laid our fingers on the writer, who is a man who believes himself to have a personal grievance86 against Mr. Hawtrey himself.' He then related the whole story.
'He may be the man,' Mr. Slippen said, when he had finished. 'At any rate there is something to go on, which there was not before. There will be no great difficulty in laying one's hand on him, but at present we have not a shred87 of real evidence—nothing that a magistrate88 would listen to.'
'We quite see that. Still, it will be something to find him; then we can have him watched, and, if possible, caught in the act of posting the letters.'
'You will find that difficult—I do not mean the watching him nor seeing him post his letters, but bringing it home to him. I would rather have to deal with anything than with a matter where you have got the Post Office people to get round. Once a letter is in a box it is their property until it is handed over to the person it is directed to. Still, we may get over that, somehow. The first thing, I take it, is to find the man. You say his betting name is Marvel?'
'That is the name he had on his hat at Epsom on the Oaks day, but he may have a dozen others.'
'Ah, that is true enough. Still, no doubt he has used it often enough for others to know him by it; and now for his description.
'Thank you, that will be sufficient. I think I will send a man down to Windsor at once; the races are on again to-day. He will get his address out of one or other of his pals89. It will cost a five-pound note at the outside. If you will give me your address, I shall most likely be able to let you have it this evening.'
'I wish to goodness I had come to you before,' Captain Hampton said. 'Here I have been wasting three weeks trying to find the man, and spending fifty or sixty pounds in railway fares, stand tickets and expenses, and you are able to undertake it at once.'
'It is a very simple matter, Captain Hampton. I have been engaged in two or three turf cases, and one of my men knows a lot of the hangers-on at racecourses. Watches and other valuables are constantly stolen there, and as often enough these things are gifts, and are valued beyond their mere55 cost in money, their owners come to us to try if we can get them back for them, which we are able to do three times out of four. Whoever may steal the things, they are likely to get into one of four or five hands, and as soon as we let it be known that we are ready to pay a fair price for their return and no questions asked, it is not long before they are brought here. I don't say I may be able to find out this man's exact address, but I can find out the public-house or other place where he is generally to be met with. I don't suppose the actual address of one in ten of these fellows is known to others. They are to be heard of in certain public-houses, but even their closest pals often don't know where they live. Sometimes, no doubt, it is in some miserable90 den8 where they would be ashamed to meet anyone. Sometimes there may be a wife and family in the case, and they don't want men coming there. Sometimes it may be just another way. Many of these fellows at home are quiet, respectable sort of chaps, living at some little place where none of their neighbours, and perhaps not even their wives, know that they have anything to do with racing, but take them for clerks or warehousemen, or something in the city. So I don't promise to find out the fellow's home, only the place where a letter will find him, or where he goes to meet his pals, and perhaps do a little quiet betting in the landlord's back parlour.'
'That will be enough for us, to begin with at any rate.'
'Of course, the private address is only a matter of a day or two longer,' Mr. Slippen went on. 'I have only to send that boy of mine up to the place, and the first time the fellow goes there he will follow him, if it is all over London, till he traces him to the place where he lives. If, as he said, he is going to give up attending the races for the present, he may not go there for a day or two. But he is sure to do so sooner or later for letters.'
'Thank you. It would be as well to know where he lives, but at any rate when we have what we may call his business address we shall have time to talk over our next move.'
'Yes, that is where the real difficulty will begin, Captain Hampton. I expect you have got to deal with a deep one, and I own that at present I do not see my way at all clear before me.'
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1
malice
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| n.恶意，怨恨，蓄意；[律]预谋 | |
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2
spoke
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| n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说 | |
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3
grudge
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| n.不满，怨恨，妒嫉；vt.勉强给，不情愿做 | |
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4
aggrieved
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| adj.愤愤不平的，受委屈的；悲痛的；（在合法权利方面）受侵害的v.令委屈，令苦恼，侵害( aggrieve的过去式)；令委屈，令苦恼，侵害( aggrieve的过去式和过去分词) | |
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5
ass
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| n.驴；傻瓜，蠢笨的人 | |
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entanglement
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| n.纠缠，牵累 | |
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rustic
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| adj.乡村的，有乡村特色的；n.乡下人，乡巴佬 | |
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8
den
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| n.兽穴；秘密地方；安静的小房间，私室 | |
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motive
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| n.动机，目的；adv.发动的，运动的 | |
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10
publicity
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| n.众所周知，闻名；宣传，广告 | |
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11
previously
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| adv.以前，先前（地） | |
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12
boisterous
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| adj.喧闹的，欢闹的 | |
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13
crafty
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| adj.狡猾的，诡诈的 | |
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14
rogues
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| n.流氓( rogue的名词复数 )；无赖；调皮捣蛋的人；离群的野兽 | |
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15
accosted
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| v.走过去跟…讲话( accost的过去式和过去分词 )；跟…搭讪；（乞丐等）上前向…乞讨；（妓女等）勾搭 | |
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16
marvel
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| vi.(at)惊叹vt.感到惊异；n.令人惊异的事 | |
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17
odds
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| n.让步，机率，可能性，比率；胜败优劣之别 | |
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18
inquiry
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| n.打听，询问，调查，查问 | |
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19
elicited
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| 引出，探出( elicit的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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20
conjecture
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| n./v.推测，猜测 | |
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21
vein
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| n.血管，静脉；叶脉，纹理；情绪；vt.使成脉络 | |
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22
stentorian
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| adj.大声的，响亮的 | |
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23
confidentially
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| ad.秘密地，悄悄地 | |
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24
confidential
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| adj.秘（机）密的，表示信任的，担任机密工作的 | |
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25
racing
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| n.竞赛，赛马；adj.竞赛用的，赛马用的 | |
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26
swell
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| vi.膨胀，肿胀；增长，增强 | |
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27
lurch
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| n.突然向前或旁边倒；v.蹒跚而行 | |
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28
retired
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| adj.隐退的，退休的，退役的 | |
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29
meditating
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| a.沉思的，冥想的 | |
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determined
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| adj.坚定的；有决心的 | |
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compartment
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| n.卧车包房，隔间；分隔的空间 | |
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32
annoyance
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| n.恼怒，生气，烦恼 | |
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33
chambers
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| n.房间( chamber的名词复数 )；（议会的）议院；卧室；会议厅 | |
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34
forgery
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| n.伪造的文件等，赝品，伪造（行为） | |
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35
disappearance
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| n.消失，消散，失踪 | |
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lodgings
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| n. 出租的房舍, 寄宿舍 | |
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landlady
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| n.女房东，女地主 | |
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38
affected
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| adj.不自然的，假装的 | |
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39
knave
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| n.流氓；（纸牌中的）杰克 | |
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40
concoct
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| v.调合，制造 | |
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41
retract
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| vt.缩回，撤回收回，取消 | |
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42
justify
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| vt.证明…正当(或有理)，为…辩护 | |
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43
epithet
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| n.（用于褒贬人物等的）表述形容词，修饰语 | |
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44
bestowed
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| 赠给，授予( bestow的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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45
spotted
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| adj.有斑点的，斑纹的，弄污了的 | |
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46
vexed
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| adj.争论不休的；（指问题等）棘手的；争论不休的问题；烦恼的v.使烦恼( vex的过去式和过去分词 )；使苦恼；使生气；详细讨论 | |
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47
enquiring
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| a.爱打听的，显得好奇的 | |
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48
liar
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| n.说谎的人 | |
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49
alludes
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| 提及，暗指( allude的第三人称单数 ) | |
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50
pestered
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| 使烦恼，纠缠( pester的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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51
passionately
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| ad.热烈地，激烈地 | |
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52
heartily
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| adv.衷心地，诚恳地，十分，很 | |
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53
foaming
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| adj.布满泡沫的；发泡 | |
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54
squires
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| n.地主，乡绅( squire的名词复数 ) | |
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55
mere
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| adj.纯粹的；仅仅，只不过 | |
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56
perfectly
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| adv.完美地，无可非议地，彻底地 | |
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57
whet
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| v.磨快，刺激 | |
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58
solicitor
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| n.初级律师，事务律师 | |
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59
persecuted
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| （尤指宗教或政治信仰的）迫害(~sb. for sth.)( persecute的过去式和过去分词 )； 烦扰，困扰或骚扰某人 | |
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60
anonymous
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| adj.无名的；匿名的；无特色的 | |
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61
savagely
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| adv. 野蛮地，残酷地 | |
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62
tranquilly
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| adv. 宁静地 | |
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63
noxious
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| adj.有害的，有毒的；使道德败坏的，讨厌的 | |
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64
indifference
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| n.不感兴趣，不关心，冷淡，不在乎 | |
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65
demon
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| n.魔鬼，恶魔 | |
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66
tugged
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| v.用力拉，使劲拉，猛扯( tug的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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67
jaded
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| adj.精疲力竭的；厌倦的；（因过饱或过多而）腻烦的；迟钝的 | |
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68
brute
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| n.野兽，兽性 | |
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69
intimacy
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| n.熟悉，亲密，密切关系，亲昵的言行 | |
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70
frigid
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| adj.寒冷的，凛冽的；冷淡的；拘禁的 | |
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71
harassed
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| adj. 疲倦的，厌烦的 动词harass的过去式和过去分词 | |
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72
outright
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| adv.坦率地；彻底地；立即；adj.无疑的；彻底的 | |
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73
bungled
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| v.搞糟，完不成( bungle的过去式和过去分词 )；笨手笨脚地做；失败；完不成 | |
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74
considerably
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| adv.极大地；相当大地；在很大程度上 | |
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75
detailed
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| adj.详细的，详尽的，极注意细节的，完全的 | |
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76
eluded
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| v.（尤指机敏地）避开( elude的过去式和过去分词 )；逃避；躲避；使达不到 | |
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77
infinitely
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| adv.无限地，无穷地 | |
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solicitors
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| 初级律师( solicitor的名词复数 ) | |
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79
infamous
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| adj.声名狼藉的，臭名昭著的，邪恶的 | |
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80
hideous
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| adj.丑陋的，可憎的，可怕的，恐怖的 | |
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81
monotonous
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| adj.单调的，一成不变的，使人厌倦的 | |
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82
alacrity
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| n.敏捷，轻快，乐意 | |
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83
sobbing
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| <主方>Ⅰ adj.湿透的 | |
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85
standing
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| n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的 | |
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86
grievance
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| n.怨愤，气恼，委屈 | |
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87
shred
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| v.撕成碎片，变成碎片；n.碎布条，细片，些少 | |
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88
magistrate
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| n.地方行政官，地方法官，治安官 | |
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89
pals
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| n.朋友( pal的名词复数 )；老兄；小子；（对男子的不友好的称呼）家伙 | |
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90
miserable
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| adj.悲惨的，痛苦的；可怜的，糟糕的 | |
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