Part 81 (1/2)
Yet if this was ihetti, hoone? If not a friend, then it must have been with an eneht of Potts He knew that this wretch was capable of any villainy, and would not hesitate at any thing to regain possession of the one who had fled froain possession of her, except out of pure villainy, he could not ihts as these the time passed heavily Six o'clock at last ca inquiries He went first to the theatre Here, after soe, and, by questioning them, he learned that Beatrice had left by herself in a cab for her hohetti had res to question the landlady Frohetti had come home about one o'clock and was not yet up
Beatrice, therefore, had left by herself; and had not gone any where with Langhetti She had not returned home It seemed to him most probable that either voluntarily or involuntarily she had come under the control of Potts What to do under the circumstances was now the question
One course seeo up to Brandon at once and make inquiries there From the letters which Philips had sent he had an idea of the doings of Potts Other sources of information had also been secured It was not his business to do any thing more than to see that Beatrice should fall into no harm
By ten o'clock he had acted upon this idea, and was at the railway station to take the express train He reached Brandon village about dusk He went to the inn in his usual disguise as Mr Smithers, and sent up to the Hall for Mr Potts
Potts was not there He then sent for Philips After some delay Philips came His usual timidity was now if possible still more marked, and he was at first too embarrassed to speak
”Where is Potts?” asked Brandon, abruptly
”In London, Sir”
”He has been there about three weeks, hasn't he?”
”Yes, Sir”
”So you wroteto hunt up his daughter”
”So I conjectured”
”And he hasn't got back yet?”
”Not yet”
”Has he written any word?”
”None that I know of”
”Did you hear any of theet her?”
”Not particularly; but I guessed froe”
”Afraid? Why?”
”Because she knew some secret of theirs”
”Secret! What secret?” asked Brandon
”You know, Sir, I suppose,” said Philips, eelo with hi on his journeys After his intervieith Philips he stood outside on the veranda of the village inn for so at a nued in, it occupied hiet back to the inn tillhe sent up to the Hall, but Potts had not yet returned Philips caraphic dispatch infor him that Potts would be back that day about one o'clock This intelligence at last seeh to occupy hihborhood He see to say to every one Yet no one looked at him or spoke to him unless he took the initiative Last of all, he went to the tailor's, where he spent an hour