Part 13 (2/2)
”Ah!” said she, ”you know that already. Pray tell me how? you are more puzzling than a Chinese juggler.”
”No jugglery about this, however,” he replied, looking somewhat amused.
”I met Mr. Belknap, face to face at your very gate; I have seen him wear that farmer disguise before, hence I recognized him.”
”And he?”
”Did _not_ recognize me.”
”Yet you know each other.”
”Slightly, yes;” with a droll look in his eyes, of which Constance took note.
”Now tell me, Mr. Bathurst, is Mr. Belknap a good detective?”
”Mr. Belknap is a smart man, Miss Wardour; he understands his business thoroughly.”
”He equivocates,” thought Constance; aloud she said,
”And I need not fear to trust my business in his hands?”
”You need not fear,” he replied, with odd emphasis. ”And now,” he continued, ”time presses; you received your package, Miss Wardour?”
Constance felt uneasy, this man seemed to find out everything; did he know of what she had accused Doctor Heath?
”I received it an hour ago,” she replied.
”Miss Wardour,” asked he, fixing his eyes upon her face, ”have you any suspicion as to who these robbers were?”
For a moment Constance seemed half paralyzed with fright; then she answered firmly,
”No, sir; not the shadow of a suspicion; but--you have.”
”If I have, it is not more than a shadow--at present. Now, may I ask you some questions, not just to the point but which, for my own reasons, I wish answered.”
She nodded a.s.sent.
”Can you tell me how many medical men you have in W----?”
Constance reflected; finally she said,
”I think there are seven, in all.”
”Ah! all in practice?”
”Not all; two are retired, one is an invalid, doing but little.”
”Thank you; and how many of them have a.s.sistants or students?”
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