Page:Once a Week Volume V.djvu/137

130 I suppose, as was a-running away with her.”

“But how can you tell it was her?”

“Well, you shall hear, sir. As soon as all the passengers had left the station, we detectives put our heads together. The cab containing the middy was mentioned. By a kind of instinct, I felt that must have been her. But, as it won’t do to act on instinct only, I at once, having ordered a fast Hansom to be in readiness, telegraphed down to Dover—from which place the middy’s ticket had been taken—to know if a naval officer had taken a ticket and paid half-fare by such a train. The answer was ‘No.’ Now a middy is not often very wise, but he is seldom so foolish as to pay full price for his ticket when he knows that, as he is travelling in uniform, he can go at a cheaper rate. I then telegraphed to all the stations between this and Reigate to know if anything unusual had been picked up anywhere on the line. The answer came back ‘Yes.’ In one place a bundle containing ladies’ wearing apparel; in another some light-coloured hair wrapped up in paper. Without losing a moment I sent off in the Hansom one of my subordinates, with orders to drive fast towards Hyde Park Corner till he came up with a four-wheel cab, No. 906, drawn by a grey horse—to keep it in sight till its fare was deposited. If the people in the cab stopped at a private house, to watch the door, and not allow them to leave till I came up; if they were dropped in the road, to arrest them both at once, and bring them back here. A bold measure, sir; but remember 300l. reward, and perfect immunity guaranteed for any illegal arrest made under mistake. Well, will you believe it, that though my man overtook the cab in Fleet Street, and followed it to Hyde Park Corner, yet when both vehicles stopped it was found the birds had flown! How they got away is more than I can imagine; but they had escaped, and that, too, without any connivance of cabby, for my man brought him back here, and, on strict examination, I found not only that he did not know how his passengers had escaped, but had actually been bilked by them of his fare. He swore roundly he would summons them on his own account, if he could catch them.”

I laughed inwardly.

“Well,” said I, “any success yet?”

“No, sir; but we shall be sure to have the lady soon, if she is above ground.”

“And why not the gentleman also?”

“The fact is, sir, that not only have we a most accurate description of the lady, but the policeman who looked in her side of the cab could tell me how she looked as a middy, and said—which first raised my suspicions—that she smoked like one who had never tried to do so before; the policeman, however, the other side of the cab cannot give much account of the gentleman because he smoked so desperately in his face. All he can say is, that he was gentlemanly-looking, dark-haired, and about thirty—at any rate, he spoke as if quite as old as that. The policeman is not clever, and yet he thinks he might know the gentleman again, if he saw him.”

I at once resolved to postpone my journey from London Bridge, and then said:

“Can you tell me why the young lady ran away, or who she is?”

“I believe I could answer both your questions, sir, but I am not at liberty to do so—I must keep secrets.”

“Very well. It was only curiosity made me ask. Now, I must be going. Good morning, Sarah. Good morning, Mr. Sharp. Mind, if you catch these people, or hear anything of them which you are at liberty to communicate, pray tell me, for you have quite interested me in the matter, and you detectives are so very clever, I quite delight in hearing your stories.”

“Yes, sir, we are a little clever, we flatter ourselves. I shall be able to give you information in a week, I think. Good morning, sir.”

Such was the next advertisement on the subject that I saw in the “Times.” Well, thought I, she must be detected now.

Walking down Holborn, a month later, I hailed a Hansom that was passing, and ordered the driver to proceed to a house some little distance from London. No sooner had we got clear of the crowded streets, and into a road where a man did not require two pair of hands and four eyes to keep clear of other vehicles, than Jarvey, opening the trap-door in the roof, over my head, touched his hat, with a “Good morning, sir.”

“Shut that door at once,” I said; “are you drunk, man, and anxious that I should give you into charge?”

“No, sir; but I hope you are very well.”

What could the man mean? There was a curious look in his eyes that plainly said he could fathom me, while, touching him, I was utterly at sea.

“I drove a four-wheel,” he continued, “a short time ago, sir. I hope you and the young gentleman—the middy, I mean, sir—are quite well. Nice little boy that as ever I seed. You may remember I picked you up, sir, in the Strand, about a month ago, and after a bit you got out and left me to drive the middy on.”

I like your memory, thought I, and then said:

“Well, I fancy I do recollect your face.”

“Thought you would, sir, when I recalled the suckamstances to your mind.”

“Now, then, stop, my man. I am getting near the house to which I want to go. Let me get out. I will walk the rest of the way—I don’t see the fun of talking to you through a hole.”

When I stood on the footpath I steadily gazed at cabby, he ditto at me, with compound interest and a leer.

“Well, now,” I said, “what do you want?”

“Oh, nothink, sir—you’re a gentleman.”

“Do you read the papers, cabby?”

“In course I does, sir, ’specially the second column of the ‘Times. ”