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Poor Mrs Tipps was among the rescued, and, along with the others, was sent on to the Clatterby station by the special train. While the people were being placed in this train, John Marrot observed Edwin Gurwood in the crowd. He chanced to be at Clatterby when the telegram of the accident arrived, and ran down in the special train to render assistance.
"Won't do, sir; I have thought of that; but, in the first place, I have not such an appointment to give him at present; in the second place, if I had, he could not draw his salary in advance, and money is wanted immediately; and, in the third place, he would not if he had it be able to spare enough out of any ordinary clerk's salary, because the debts due by Mrs Tipps amount to fifty pounds so Mrs Durby said."
"Captain Lee," exclaimed Tipps, who had stood perfectly aghast with amazement at this scene, "what do you mean? surely." "I mean," said the captain, "that this youth was taken up by one of our own detectives as a thief, some weeks ago, and was found travelling in a first-class carriage without a ticket."
He was writing at a little desk close to a large window, which, owing to the station being a temporary one and its roof low, was flimsy, and came nearer to the ground than most windows do. Mr Tipps wrote somewhat nervously.
Meanwhile Mrs Tipps invited her friends who had assembled there to take tea in Eden Villa, and here Dr Noble was eagerly questioned as to his knowledge of his late assailant, but he either could not or would not throw light on the subject.
"Oh no, Mrs Tipps, not by no means," said Marrot, hasting to relieve the timid old lady's feelings, "Mr Joseph is all right nothing wotiver wrong with him nor likely to be, ma'am. Leastwise he wos all right w'en I seed 'im last." "And when might that be?" asked the timid old lady with a sigh of relief as she clasped her hands tightly together.
I was not aware until this day that he had been tracking me, but, judging from what he said, and from what I know about him, I now see that he must have been doing so for some years. Here is the explanation, and, let me add, it intimately concerns yourselves." Mrs Tipps and Netta became more interested as Dr Noble proceeded.
Here poor Mrs Tipps pointed indignantly to her account-book, and to a pile of papers that lay before her, as if they were the guilty cause of all her troubles. "How does it stand? The whole two hundred and fifty pounds seventeen shillings spent only the two-pence left and accounts to tradesmen, amounting to fifty pounds, remaining unpaid!"
"So," said the latter at length, in a very stern voice, "this is your friend, Mr Tipps?" "Sir," exclaimed Edwin, flushing crimson, "you ought not to condemn any one unheard." "I do not condemn you, sir," retorted the captain. "By word, no, but by look and tone and gesture you do."
I want to repay a debt; by rights I ought to add compound interest to it for twenty years, which would make it a thousand pounds. Now, do accept it, Mrs Tipps," cried the captain, earnestly.
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