Never meant to stay there, not she! You're a friend of
her father's, mister?'
Sidney could not trust himself to make a reply. lie rejoined Snowdon
at a little distance, and expressed his intention of going at once
to Clerkenwell Close.
'Let me see you again to-day,' said the old man sadly.
Sidney promised, and they took leave of each other. It was now
nearing ten o'clock. In the Close an organ was giving delight to a
great crowd of children, some of them wearing holiday garb, but most
clad in the native rags which served them for all seasons and all
days. The volume of clanging melody fell with torture upon
Kirkwood's ear, and when he saw that the instrument was immediately
before Mrs. Peckover's house, he stood aside in gloomy impatience,
waiting till it should move away. This happened in a few minutes.
The house door being open, he walked straight upstairs.
On the landing he confronted Mrs. Hewett; she started on seeing him,
and whispered a question. The exchange of a few words apprised
Sidney that Hewett did not even know of Clara's having quitted Mrs.
Tubbs'.
'Then I must tell him everything,' he said. To put the task upon the
poor woman would have been simple cowardice.
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