Dunster had
absconded--he that had been so trusted by poor dear Mr. Wilkins. Money
gone no one knew how or where.
"But has he no friends who can explain his proceedings, and account for
the missing money, in some way?" asked Mr. Corbet.
"No, none. Mr. Wilkins has written everywhere, right and left, I
believe. I know he had a letter from Mr. Dunster's nearest relation--a
tradesman in the City--a cousin, I think, and he could give no
information in any way. He knew that about ten years ago Mr. Dunster had
had a great fancy for going to America, and had read a great many
travels--all just what a man would do before going off to a country."
"Ten years is a long time beforehand," said Mr. Corbet, half smiling;
"shows malice prepense with a vengeance." But then, turning grave, he
said: "Did he leave Hamley in debt?"
"No; I never heard of that," said Miss Monro, rather unwillingly, for she
considered it as a piece of loyalty to the Wilkinses, whom Mr. Dunster
had injured (as she thought) to blacken his character as much as was
consistent with any degree of truth.
"It is a strange story," said Mr. Corbet, musing.
"Not at all," she replied, quickly; "I am sure, if you had seen the man,
with one or two side-locks of hair combed over his baldness, as if he
were ashamed of it, and his eyes that never looked at you, and his way of
eating with his knife when he thought he was not observed--oh, and
numbers of things!--you would not think it strange.
Pages:
106
107
108
109
110
111
112
113
114
115
116
117
118
119
120
121
122
123
124
125
126
127
128
129
130