Page:Guy Boothby--A Bid for Fortune.djvu/234

224 Marquis of Beckenham to you, whom we have had the good fortune to find and rescue."

Mr. Wetherell bowed gravely and held out his hand.

"My lord," he said, "I am thankful that you have been discovered. I look upon it as one step towards the recovery of my poor girl. I hope now that both you and Mr. Hatteras will take up your abode with me during the remainder of your stay in the colony. You have had a scurvy welcome to New South Wales. But we must see if we can't make up to you for it. You look thoroughly worn out, my lord; I expect you would like to go to bed."

He rang the bell, and when his butler appeared gave him some instructions about preparing rooms for us.

Ten minutes later the man returned and stated that our rooms were ready, whereupon Mr. Wetherell himself conducted Beckenham to his. When he returned to me, he asked if I would not like to retire too, but I would not hear of it. I could not have slept a wink, so great was my anxiety. Seeing this, he seated himself and listened attentively while I gave him an outline of Beckenham's story. I had hardly finished before I heard a carriage roll up to the door. There was a ring at the bell, and presently the butler, who, like ourselves, would not dream of going to bed, though his master had repeatedly urged him to, entered and announced the inspector.

Wetherell hobbled across to receive him with an anxious face. "Have you any better news for me?" he asked.

"Not very much, I'm afraid, sir," the inspector said, shaking his head. "The best I have is that your carriage and horse have been found in the yard of an empty house off Pitt Street."