Page:Braddon--The Trail of the Serpent.djvu/30

26 fingers were more active than clean, and made rather a dirty alphabet.

"Oh, hang it," said Mr. Jinks, after watching him for a moment, "you must do it a little slower, if you want me to understand. I am not an electric telegraph."

The scrub nodded, and began again with his fingers, very slowly.

This time Richard too watched him; for Richard knew this dumb alphabet. He had talked whole reams of nonsense with it, in days gone by, to a pretty girl at a boarding-school, between whom and himself there had existed a platonic attachment, to say nothing of a high wall and broken glass bottles.

Richard watched the dirty alphabet.

First, two grimy fingers laid flat upon the dirty palm, N. Next, the tip of the grimy forefinger of the right hand upon the tip of the grimy third finger of the left hand, O; the next letter is T, and the man snaps his fingers—the word is finished,. Not what? Richard found himself wondering with an intense eagerness, which, even in the bewildered state of his mind, surprised him.

The dumb man began another word—

G—U—I—L—

Mr. Jinks cut him short.

"Not guilty? Not fiddlesticks! What do you know about it, I should like to know? Where did you get your experience? Where did you get your sharp practice? What school have you been formed in, I wonder, that you can come out so positive with your opinion; and what's the value you put your opinion at, I wonder? I should be glad to hear what you'd take for your opinion."

Mr. Jinks uttered the whole of this speech with the most intense sarcasm; for Mr. Jinks was a distinguished detective, and prided himself highly on his acumen; and was therefore very indignant that his sub and scrub should dare to express an opinion.

"My uncle murdered!" said Richard; "my good, kind, generous-hearted uncle! Murdered in cold blood! Oh, it is too horrible!"

The scrub's mouth was very much on one side as Richard muttered this, half to himself.

"And I am suspected of the murder?"

"Well, you see," said Mr. Jinks, "there's two or three things tell pretty strong against you. Why were you in such a hurry this morning to cut and run to Gardenford?"

"My uncle had recommended me to a merchant's office in that town: see, here is the letter of introduction—read it."