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Jarndyce, Ada, and Richard took advantage of a very fine day to make a little excursion, Mr. Boythorn was to wait for Kenge and Carboy's clerk and then was to go on foot to meet them on their return. Well! I was full of business, examining tradesmen's books, adding up columns, paying money, filing receipts, and I dare say making a great bustle about it when Mr. Guppy was announced and shown in.
"No," I said, "I am in Joyce & Carboy's office. I am a stenographer." Again my answer seemed both to puzzle and to surprise her. She regarded me doubtfully. I could see that she thought, for some reason, I was misleading her. "In an office?" she repeated. Then, as though she had caught me, she said: "How do you keep so fit?"
I hope," I think I added, without very well knowing what I said, "that you will now go away as if you had never been so exceedingly foolish and attend to Messrs. Kenge and Carboy's business." "Half a minute, miss!" cried Mr. Guppy, checking me as I was about to ring. "This has been without prejudice?" "I will never mention it," said I, "unless you should give me future occasion to do so."
I at once made up my mind that I never would have the courage to ring that door-bell, and I mounted a Fifth Avenue stage, and took up my work of reconnoitering for a job where Miss Fiske had interrupted it. The next day I got the job. I am to begin work on Monday. It is at Schwartz & Carboy's. They manufacture locks and hinges and agricultural things.
"Cephas Carboy's my name ain't much of a mister to it," and the man grinned feebly. "You're the man I want to see, Carboy," and the detective took a seat on a log close by. "Want to see me? What fer? I don't know you." "I want to see you about that Langmore murder." The shiftless man stared and withdrew his pipe from his mouth with trembling fingers. "I didn't have nuthin' to do with that.
But Miss Summerson has mentioned to you, perhaps, that something has passed between us on former occasions?" "Miss Summerson," returned my guardian, smiling, "has made a communication to that effect to me." "That," said Mr. Guppy, "makes matters easier. Sir, I have come out of my articles at Kenge and Carboy's, and I believe with satisfaction to all parties. "Thank you, Mr.
Kinney sits next to me at Joyce & Carboy's, the woollen manufacturers, where I am a stenographer, and Kinney is a clerk, and we both have rooms at Mrs. Shaw's boarding-house. Kinney is only a year older than myself, but he is always meeting with adventures.
There were a great many ink bottles. Some of the inscriptions I have enumerated were written in law-hand, like the papers I had seen in Kenge and Carboy's office and the letters I had so long received from the firm.
"I don't understand what you mean," said I, wondering. "It's one of our law terms, miss. You won't make any use of it to my detriment at Kenge and Carboy's or elsewhere. If our conversation shouldn't lead to anything, I am to be as I was and am not to be prejudiced in my situation or worldly prospects. In short, it's in total confidence."
For the streets were so full of dense brown smoke that scarcely anything was to be seen. "Oh, dear no, miss," he said. "This is a London particular." I had never heard of such a thing. "A fog, miss," said the young gentleman. "Oh, indeed!" said I. And there really was a churchyard outside under some cloisters, for I saw the gravestones from the staircase window. This was Kenge and Carboy's.
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