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I should like to live here, and tell the beads upon my rosary, and repent and rest." He seated himself in the arm-chair opposite Mrs. Barkamb, at that lady's invitation, and placed his hat upon the ground. The elderly terrier descended from his mistress' lap to bark at and otherwise take objection to this hat.
Talboys' departure from Wildernsea. The proprietor of the Victoria Hotel informed me that you were the most likely person to afford me that information." Mrs. Barkamb deliberated for some moments. "I can give you the date of Captain Maldon's departure," she said, "for he left No. 17 considerably in my debt, and I have the whole business in black and white; but with regard to Mrs. Talboys " Mrs.
Ruminating in this wise, Robert Audley reached the house to which he had been directed as the residence of Mrs. Barkamb. He was admitted immediately by a prim, elderly servant, who ushered him into a sitting-room as prim and elderly-looking as herself. Mrs. Barkamb, a comfortable matron of about sixty years of age, was sitting in an arm-chair before a bright handful of fire in the shining grate.
"You were wishing, I suppose, sir, to take one be quiet, Dash one of the cottages," suggested Mrs. Barkamb, whose mind ran in one narrow groove, and whose life during the last twenty years had been an unvarying round of house-letting. Robert Audley explained the purpose of his visit. "I come to ask one simple question," he said, in conclusion, "I wish to discover the exact date of Mrs.
Barkamb had nothing more to tell, and Robert had no further questions to ask. He requested permission to retain the two letters written by the lieutenant and his daughter, and left the house with them in his pocket-book. He walked straight back to the hotel, where he called for a time-table. An express for London left Wildernsea at a quarter past one.
This made a very small link in the chain of circumstantial evidence, perhaps; but it was a link, nevertheless, and it fitted neatly into its place. "Did Mr. Maldon hear from his daughter after she had left Wildernsea?" Robert asked. "Well, I believe he did hear from her," Mrs. Barkamb answered; "but I didn't see much of the old gentleman after that August.
Barkamb paused for a few moments before resuming. "You are aware that Mrs. Talboys left rather abruptly?" she asked. "I was not aware of that fact." "Indeed! Yes, she left abruptly, poor little woman! She tried to support herself after her husband's desertion by giving music lessons; she was a very brilliant pianist, and succeeded pretty well, I believe.
Audley waited very patiently, watching the gray clouds sailing across the gray sky, the gray vessels gliding past upon the gray sea. After about ten minutes' search, and a great deal of rustling, crackling, folding and unfolding of the papers, Mrs. Barkamb uttered an exclamation of triumph. "I've got the letter," she said; "and there's a note inside it from Mrs. Talboys."
Barkamb retired to a table in the window on which stood an old-fashioned mahogany desk, lined with green baize, and suffering from a plethora of documents, which oozed out of it in every direction. Letters, receipts, bills, inventories and tax-papers were mingled in hopeless confusion; and among these Mrs. Barkamb set to work to search for Captain Maldon's letter. Mr.
But I suppose her father took her money from her, and spent it in public houses. However that might be, they had a very serious misunderstanding one night; and the next morning Mrs. Talboys left Wildernsea, leaving her little boy, who was out at nurse in the neighborhood." "But you cannot tell me the date of her leaving?" "I'm afraid not," answered Mrs. Barkamb; "and yet, stay.
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