Page 512 (1/1)

'He's been and murdered him!' screa wo here;--is she?' asked one of the police here,' said Mrs Hurtle But noe o back to the adventures of John Crumb after he had left the house

He had taken a bedroom at a small inn close to the Eastern Counties Railway Station which he was accustoht him up to London, and thither he proposed to himself to return At one time there had come upon him an idea that he would endeavour to seek Ruby and his ene saloons of the metropolis; and he had asked a question with that view But no answer had been given which seemed to aid hi too coave hi So he had turned down a street hich he was so far acquainted as to know that it would take hiel,--where various roads meet, and whence he would know his way eastwards He had just passed the Angel, and the end of Goswell Road, and was standing with histothat he would ask a police because he feared that the man would want to know his business Then, of a sudden, he heard a woman scream, and knew that it was Ruby's voice The sound was very near hiht he could not quite see whence it ca his hand up to scratch his head under his hat,-- trying to think what, in such an eency, it would be well that he should do Then he heard the voice distinctly, 'I won't;--I won't,' and after that a screaood --I won't' At last he was able todown a passage to the right which led back into Goswell Road, saw Ruby struggling in aestablishment with her lover; and when they had coe, there had arisen a question as to her further destiny for the night Ruby, though she well remembered Mrs Pipkin's threats, was minded to try her chance at her aunt's door Sir Felix was of opinion that he could euht avail hie The unfortunate one! That so ill a chance should have come upon him in the midst of his diversion! He had sed several tumblers of brandy and water, and was therefore brave with reference to that interference of the police, the fear of which ht otherwise have induced him to relinquish his hold of Ruby's arm when she first raised her voice But what amount of brandy and water would have enabled him to persevere, could he have dreamed that John Crumb was near hi violently away, and brought with his back against the railings so forcibly as to have the breath almost knocked out of his body But he could hear Ruby's exclamation, 'If it isn't John Cru destruction, as though the world for hihout his liround