DIFFICULTIES.
The woman who had this in the doorway, looking on in some surprise. She was in the semi-masculine fashion now by the sex--a gown, and in appearance, a jacket of the same material, over a black shirt, and a Tyrolean of felt. Her was and in its pallor, her of a dark blue, and her black and luxuriant. A look of was on lip and eye, but this gave place to an of when she saw Robert on the floor. Finally, when her met those of Fanks', she started and back. Maxwell over her in astonishment; and for a minute there was a pause. It was by the woman, who and herself to Fanks.
"You see how the of me this wretch," she said, pointing to the man on the floor; "you shall from other than mine how he his master's wife. Wait, gentlemen, till I up my friend to this man."
And with these she pushed Maxwell and disappeared.
Quite that she spoke in all good faith, Fanks no that she should be stopped. Indeed, he was too by the of the to speak; and he looked at Garth.
That was, if possible, more than his friend. The of the woman at once and them both; and they not what to make of the matter.
"Do you that it is Emma Calvert?" asked Garth, who was the to the use of his tongue.
"Emma Calvert, my friend?"
"Well, then, Lady Fellenger, if you it."
"It doesn't what we call her," Fanks, with a shrug, "seeing that she is dead."
"But she is not dead."
Fanks again his shoulders, and pointed to the photograph. "The card says that Emma Calvert is dead," he remarked; "the says that Emma Calvert is dead. How then can this woman be Emma Calvert, Lady Fellenger?"
"I can't explain," said Garth, obstinately, "but I am sure of one thing; that she is the original of this picture."
"It would appear so," said Fanks, looking puzzled; "and yet--upon my word, it is the most thing I saw in life. Garth, for once you see me at my wit's end and mystified."
"Wait, Fanks. Wait the of this woman; the of her friend. In the meantime, let us this creature."
"He is in a of fit," said Fanks, and the of the man. "Get some water, Garth, and you, Maxwell, go and see if that woman and her friend are up. We may as well see this out."
These were obeyed, and Garth soon returned with a of water, while Fanks--always provided against emergencies--produced a bottle and a of brandy. While thus they were by Maxwell, with a look of on his face.
"Well!" said Fanks, sharply. "Where is this woman and her friend?"
"I don't know about her friend, sir; but she's gone off."
Fanks to his feet. "Gone off!" he repeated. "What do you mean?"
"What I say, sir," said the policeman, doggedly. "I and not see her. I asked the at the door, and he said as she had off in a hansom."
A look of and settled on the of Fanks. In a moment he without much that the woman had him, and he small in his own at having been so baffled. It was the most moment of his life.
"Attend to this man with Mr. Garth," he said roughly, "I shall see for myself;" and, himself for his simplicity, he up his and took himself out of the chambers.
At the door he looked up and down, but ho see no of the missing woman. A on the some away, and although he was a to Fanks the him without the least hesitation. This was less the time for than for acting. Every moment was precious; every moment the of and the woman. Fanks, as a rule, was one of the most self-contained of men, his self-control or temper, but at this moment he have at his want of which had let a possible in the case through his fingers. But he that there was yet time to his fault. "Officer," he said, walking up to the constable, "did you see a lady come out of door?"
"Yes, sir. The just asked me about her. She away in a five minutes ago. I see it drive off like mad."
"Were you near at hand?"
"Just at her elber, so to speak, sir."
"Did you what address she gave the cabman?"
"What do you want to know for, sir?" asked the policeman, in a way.
"That is my and not yours," Fanks, to being by members of the force; "I am Fanks, the detective, and I am here on business. Quick, man, the address?"
As Maxwell had that a was upstairs, the at once this and respectfully. "She didn't give no address, but she said Piccadilly promiscus."
"What part of Piccadilly?" Fanks, a hansom.
"Jest Piccadilly, and no more, sir," the officer.
"Do you know the number of the cab?"
"No, sir; there weren't no occasion of me to take it."
"Of course, of course," Fanks, testily. "Can you the hansom? Was there any particular mark, by which I can it?"
"Well, sir, I did note as it had a red, white, and over the roof, with a as a white beaver, so to speak."
"That will do," Fanks, jumping into the vehicle which had up; "which way did the turn?"
"To the right, sir; Piccadilly."
"Cabby," the detective, as the driver looked through the trap, "go Piccadilly, and look for a with a red, white, and suncloth. It's a if you catch it."
"That's Joe Berners' cab, that is," said Jehu, and off briskly, with his in a of excitement.
Fanks had to think about that drive, the material being by the woman who had so him. What had this woman to Fellenger's chambers? For what had she taken her so suddenly? Was Emma Calvert dead? If so, who was the woman who so a to her? If Emma Calvert were not dead, and this was she, why had she come to Half-Moon Street, and why had Robert at the of her? All these questions presented themselves to the mind of the detective, and he himself unable to answer any of them. If he the woman there might be a of explanation; the woman, there the valet. But if the one was missing and the other was ignorant, Fanks not what he should do in so difficult a matter.
As it was the of the season, Piccadilly was with vehicles of all descriptions, and the of progress was slow. Far, very far, ahead Fanks that he the by the constable, but of this he was not sure; therefore he in his of to make certain.
During a by the of the it into his mind that he had the woman's before. He was if this was so, and yet he had an that it was. The of this unknown woman were familiar to him; but, as the Americans say, "he not her nohow." It only for him to his memory with a second glimpse; but at present he saw no of one. He of the woman of he was in search.
The no of moving on, and, that he walk than he drive, Fanks paid his cabman, jumped out, and along the pavement. He saw a number of people he knew, but paying no attention to these he along, on to his goal. At length his were rewarded, for by the Isthmian Club he saw the wished-for ahead. It was into Berkeley Square, and, as the was in the street, Fanks another with a likely-looking horse, and in its wake. It him that he might as well out where the woman lived; therefore he did not attempt to catch up, but his driver to keep on the trail. It was his only of his ends with so an opponent.
Then a long, long chase, which cost Fanks the best part of a sovereign. He to Oxford Street, into Regent Street; passed through Piccadilly Circus, to Trafalgar Square. After along the Strand, the Arundel Street to the Embankment, up through Northumberland Avenue, Cockspur Street, Waterloo Place, and again the in Piccadilly. Fanks to of this chase; he where this woman to stop. Still he on in a fashion, to out his adversary, he to a foeman--or a foewoman--not of his steel. He therefore up the on the trail, and, to his surprise, he that the which he had so up Half-Moon Street, and stopped the of Fellenger.
"Good Lord!" said Fanks to himself, "surely she has not been so great a as to come to earth again, where she she will me."
He was perfectly right in making this remark, for when he jumped out and ran up to the he it--empty. Fanks swore, Joe Berners grinned.
"And it do y' right," said Joe, who was a person; "I did 'old as should innocents. G' on wi' y'."
Fanks his on this speech. It was most to have an empty for so many miles; but it was to be of being a when he was on doing his duty. The laughed, although the joke was against himself.
"The question of will argument, my friend," he said in a laughing tone. "In the meantime, you will tell me what you did with the lady you up here?"
"Why!" said Mr. Berners, "she told me as you was after her for an' such like; so she me a sov. to you. She got out of my at the end of this street, she did; and told me to drive on an' on for an hour or so, while she got away. I done that," added Joe, with a grin, "an' you've follerin' a h'empty since I up to Berkeley Square."
"You have according to your lights, my friend," said Fanks, when he how he had been tricked, "and I do not you. All the same I am not a profligate, but a detective."
"Lor!" said Joe, "has she done anything, sir?"
"What she has done is nothing to you. Can you tell me in which direction she went?"
"No, I can't, sir; and I don't bel've you, I don't," and so saying Joe Berners off in high dudgeon.
Fanks no attempt to stop him; for he saw that the woman had him, and the only thing left for him to do was to retire with the best possible grace. To this end he paid his cab, his shoulders, and again. Since the woman had succeeded in him, the of the problem with Robert. Then a miracle. On the way up to the the memory of that across the mind of Fanks.
"Ah!" he said, with a start, "I now. I saw that in the the Red Star, on the night of the murder."
