Four, five, six--and he was
gone.
Miss Garth looked down at the card in her hand, and looked up again
in blank astonishment. The name and address of the clerical-looking
stranger (both written in pencil) ran as follows:
_Captain Wragge. Post-office, Bristol._
CHAPTER III.
WHEN she returned to the house, Miss Garth made no attempt to conceal
her unfavorable opinion of the stranger in black. His object was, no
doubt, to obtain pecuniary assistance from Mrs. Vanstone. What the
nature of his claim on her might be seemed less intelligible--unless it
was the claim of a poor relation. Had Mrs. Vanstone ever mentioned, in
the presence of her daughters, the name of Captain Wragge? Neither
of them recollected to have heard it before. Had Mrs. Vanstone ever
referred to any poor relations who were dependent on her? On the
contrary she had mentioned of late years that she doubted having any
relations at all who were still living. And yet Captain Wragge had
plainly declared that the name on his card would recall "a family
matter" to Mrs. Vanstone's memory. What did it mean? A false statement,
on the stranger's part, without any intelligible reason for making it?
Or a second mystery, following close on the heels of the mysterious
journey to London?
All the probabilities seemed to point to some hidden connection between
the "family affairs" which had taken Mr.
Pages:
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49