"Limited liability companies generally, gentlemen, are becoming the ruin
of our land. I don't believe in them. You never see my name down
anywhere as a director. Why, I've had no less than four applications--
no less than four, gentlemen--to sell my little bit of a business, so
that it may be formed into a company, with your humble servant to act as
manager, with a noble price, a noble salary, and no end of shares into
the bargain. But no, gentlemen; I am determined--Now, Bokes,"
impatiently, "what is it?"
"Woman, sir--will see you, sir," whispered the butler; "says I was to
say `Borton Street,' sir, and `Gone!'"
So strange a pallor overspread Richard Pellet's face that it was
observed by all his guests, as, rising with a forced attempt at a smile,
he asked them to excuse him for five minutes.
"If she should only have made her way here to-night!" ejaculated Richard
Pellet, as he passed the dining-room door, perspiring profusely the
while. "If she were but dead--if she were but dead!"
"What's wrong?" whispered Alderman Espicier to his neighbour. "Pellet's
bank gone to the bad?"
"Writ, more likely," said the other, charitably; and then they made a
few pleasant comments upon the wine they were drinking, calculated its
cost per dozen, wondered whether the epergne and ice-pails were silver
or electro, but hardly liked to seek for the hall-marks, in case the
host should return and find them so engaged. In short, during Richard
Pellet's absence, they looked upon everything in a truly commercial
spirit, that might not have been quite agreeable to their host had he
been aware of the proceedings.
Meanwhile, taking up a chamber candlestick, Richard Pellet had hurried
into the library, where he found Mrs Walls, the woman from the Borton
Street house--Ellen's gaoler.
"Now!" he harshly exclaimed, "what is it?"
"Gone!" said the woman, abruptly.
"Who--what--Ellen?" stammered Richard, for he had clung to the doubt.
"How?--when?"
"Do you want all that answered at once?" said the woman, in a cool
insolent tone--the voice of one who might have taken her last cheque
from her employer, or felt herself safe of her position.
"There! speak out; I'm busy--company," exclaimed Richard, excitedly.
"Well," said the woman, "I've nothing more to tell you, only that she is
gone, and I don't know how she managed it. Of course, my responsibility
was at an end after the notice I had given you, and I considered that
she was only staying to oblige you. But I never thought she would slip
away, or I'd have watched her. P'raps she's off again to see the little
one--she has been talking to herself about it a good deal lately."
"And you never watched her!" hissed Richard, standing with knitted brows
and clenched fists before the woman.
"No," she replied, coolly. "You took care only to pay me up to this
morning, so it's your affair now, _Mr Herrisey_."
The last word was said with a meaning emphasis, which made Richard
wince.
"How did you know I was staying here?" he said, more quietly.
"How did I know that you lived here!" laughed the woman; "you told me--
at least, you took care to drop one of your cards one day, and to sign
the cheque one day as Richard Pellet. Of course, when it was money, I
wanted to know which was right--Herrisey or Pellet. It didn't much
matter to me, but I thought I'd know while I was about it. You may call
yourself Smith if you like."
Richard Pellet glared at the woman, as he thought of the trouble he had
been at to keep a little separate banking account solely for this
purpose, and then, unknown to himself, force of habit had made him make
one payment according to custom. He was at the woman's mercy, in spite
of the precautions he thought he had taken, and no doubt she knew the
whole of his affairs. Well, money would buy her, he thought; and then
he was brought back from his short musing by the woman's hard voice.
"If you choose to be mean, you must put up with the consequences; and
what's more, you ought to thank and pay me for coming to put you on your
guard."
"Do you think she--she knows that I live here?" said Richard, in a
hoarse whisper.