Page:Fletcher - The Mortover Grange Affair.pdf/237

 amongst a vast crowd of travellers all hope of finding him would be gone. But Wedgwood, when he at last came back to him showed no symptoms of anxiety or haste: he motioned Stainsby out into a corridor where two quietly dressed men eyed him over with evident slightly amused interest.

"This is the young hopeful!" said Wedgwood, with a wink at the two strangers. "All there! Now Stainsby, my lad, your turn to be useful comes in. Go down to the Docks with these friends of mine: they know where to go, and all you've got to do is to go with them. But when you get where you're going, you're to keep your eyes skinned for Thomas Wraypoole! And as soon as you catch sight of him, you're to point him out to these gentlemen. See?"

"All right!" said Stainsby. He looked the two men closely over, and turned to Wedgwood.

"You ought to remember," he continued, "that passengers can go on board some time before the ship's due out. Wraypoole may be on board now."

Wedgwood smiled and patted Stainsby's shoulder.

"Good lad!" he said. "Nothing like thinking on all sides. But Wraypoole isn't on board my lad—Wraypoole and his wife are at this