Part 38 (2/2)
is taken with quiet philosophy by family and friends. The traveller starts for ”abroad” as easily, as simply, as he would for the nearest public house. He has no impedimenta, nothing to burden him or to cause him regret. Strangely enough, no one ever has any idea where the money comes from that pays for the journey ”abroad.” The traveller being a wastrel never has any himself, and the family is invariably too poor to provide it. But the wastrel goes, nevertheless.
And life within the narrowed precincts of the family circle goes on just as it had done before. Sometimes news comes from the traveller--a picture post-card from ”abroad,” usually a request for pecuniary a.s.sistance. Seldom does good news arrive; still more seldom does the traveller come back home.
But it is all very simple. Nothing to make a fuss about.
”Then,” said the coroner, ”he didn't tell you where he meant to go?”
”No, sir,” replied Jim Baker, ”he just was going abroad.”
”Do you know where he went?”
”No, sir.”
”Did you ever try to find out?”
”No, sir. Where 'ad been the use?”
Where indeed? The world is so large! and the Baker family so insignificant!
”He didn't write to you?”
”No, sir.”
”Nor communicate with you in any way?”
”No, sir.”
”You had no idea what had become of him?”
”Not until last summer, sir.”
”What happened then?”
”His sister, sir, our Emily, she was out walkin' with Harry Smith--young Smith from next door to us, sir--and she was down in the West End o' London with 'im one day, and 'oo should they meet, sir, but Paul.”
”Did they speak to him?”
”Yes, sir. They says, ''Ello, Paul, we didn't know as 'ow you was 'ome,' and 'e seemed upset like at first, and pretended 'e didn't know 'em, and that they'd made a mistake. But they chaffed 'im and went on talkin', so I suppose Paul 'e thought it best to make a clean breast of it all.”
”Do you mean to say that he told his sister and his friend that he was carrying on a criminal fraud against the Earl of Radclyffe?”
”Oh, no, sir; not all that. 'E only told 'em that 'e was in for a good thing. A gentleman's gentleman 'e told 'em 'e was and doin' well for hisself. 'E said 'e would come and see the fam'ly--'e meant me and 'is mother, sir--some day soon. But 'e never come.”
”Did he say where he was living?”
”Yes, sir. 'E gave 'is address to Emily. Up 'Ampstead way it were. A long way, sir. Me and 'is mother never seemed to 'ave the time to go and look 'im up; but Emily she went with young Smith one Sunday, but they never found the street, not where Paul said 'e was livin'. There weren't no such street in 'Ampstead, sir.”
”And you never thought of making further inquiries?”
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