The Argosy — page 279: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

258 Mrs. Raven’s Temptation. He turned again to the first pocket. It was certainly empty. Yet he was quite sure he had put the paper in his writing-case, that he had seen it there that morning; and so without a pause he turned out the contents of the second pocket. There was the missing paper, safe enough, neatly folded between the sheets of thin foreign note. ‘This is an illustration of the Vicar’s remarks,” mused Frank. ‘“ If { could have sworn to anything, it would be that I put that paper in the empty side. I wonder how many mistakes we make which we never find out at all? And now, I1 suppose, with that paper in it, I ought not to leave the case unfastened. Yet I suspect my father’s ring escaped somehow from under lock and key.” However, he secured the case, and was on his way to Leonard’s sick room, when he met a servant bringing him a letter. It had come in by the late post, and was from Philip. The first envelope contained no letter—only an enclosure of another envelope superscribed in a different hand, and marked—‘“Or please forward.” Philip had scribbled on the other side: “This came by first post : seems to have been delayed. I obey its request, especially as I fancy it is from our silent friend at Coltburn.” Frank eagerly opened the enclosed packet. Philip was right in his conjecture: it was from the detective. But the detective’s communication was almost as curt as Philip’s own. ‘RESPECTED SIR,—Mr. Jones has placed your latest communication with me.” (That was the anonymous letter to Alice Cleare.) ‘He tells me how anxious you are. But a good hunt may be spoiled by jumping out before the time. I have an agent about the Court. I am doing my best. ‘Yours obediently, | “ HENRY CRAN.” ‘An agent about the Court!” That was, Frank knew, within his own instructions; or, at any rate, within his own permission. Had he not just said so, himself, to the Vicar? And yet now, as he stood among the old familiar surroundings, he shrank from the idea. But his strong common sense came to the rescue. It had to be. A little natural curiosity arose as to who this agent was, and in what function he appeared. Or might it be a woman? But there were certainly only two strange women on the Court horizon just now —one in the house—to wit, the nurse, Hannah—and one probably hearing all that went on in it, from the footboy going daily two and fro to his sick. father—the taciturn stranger, who had come to take care of Eldred Sloam. The nurse was an old acquaintance of good Dr. Wragge. She was not likely to be a detective. It must bethis strange woman whom Frank had so innocently and unsuccessfully tried to see. He passed the rest of the evening with his mother, sitting quietly by the uncon- scious Leonard. ECOLPMIC LOOKS, (EO)