Page:Guy Boothby--A Bid for Fortune.djvu/263

Rh in an old bit of tawdry finery that was, at the lowest calculation, three sizes too large for her. Her hair fell upon her shoulders in a tangled mass, and from under it her eyes gleamed out like those of a wicked little Scotch terrier getting ready to bite. As I bent down to listen I heard her say,

"Well, my dear, and what information have you got for the gentleman, that brings you down at this time of night?"

"Only that the coppers are going to start at daylight looking for the Merry Duchess. I heard the inspector say so himself."

"At daylight, are they?" croaked the elder woman. "Well I wish 'em joy of their search, I do—them—them! Any more news, my dear?"

"The master and that long-legged slab of a Hatteras went out to-night down the harbour. The old man brought home a lot of money bags, but what was in 'em was only dummies."

"I know that, too, my dear. Nicely they was sold. Ha! ha!"

She chuckled like an old fiend, and then began to cut up another pipe of tobacco in the palm of her hand like a man. She smoked negro head, and the reek of it came out through the keyhole to me. But the younger girl was evidently impatient, for she rose and said:

"When do they sail with the girl, Sally?"

"They're gone, my dear. They went at ten tonight."

At this piece of news my heart began to throb painfully, so much so that I could hardly listen for its beating.

"They weren't long about it," said the younger girl, critically.