“I will, by Jove!”

[Illustration:  “I WATCHED HIM.”]

CHAPTER XX.

THE BARON’S WOES.

Dacres was not the only excited visitor that Hawbury had that day.  Before its close another made his appearance in the person of the Baron.

“Well, my noble friend,” cried Hawbury—­“my Baron bold—­how goes it?  But, by Jove! what’s the matter, my boy?  Your brow deep scars of thunder have intrenched, and care sits on your faded cheek.  Pour forth the mournful tale.  I’ll sympathize.”

“I swear it’s too almighty bad!” cried the Baron.

“What?”

“The way I’m getting humbugged.”

“Humbugged!  Who’s been humbugging you?”

“Darn me if I know; and that’s the worst of it by a thundering sight.”

“Well, my dear fellow, if I can help you, you’d better let me know what it’s all about.”

“Why, Minnie; that’s the row.  There ain’t another thing on this green earth that would trouble me for five seconds.”

“Minnie?  Oh!  And what has happened—­a lover’s quarrel?”

“Not a quarrel. She’s all right.”

“What is it, then?”

“Why, she’s disappeared.”

“Disappeared!  What do you mean by that?”

“Darn me if I know.  I only know this, that they keep their place bolted and barred, and they’ve muffled the bell, and there’s no servant to be seen, and I can’t find out any thing about them.  And it’s too almighty bad.  Now isn’t it?”

“It’s deuced odd, too—­queer, by Jove!  I don’t understand.  Are you sure they’re all locked up?”

“Course I am.”

“And no servants?”

“Not a darned servant.”

“Did you ask the concierge?”

“Course I did; and crossed his palm, too.  But he didn’t give me any satisfaction.”

“What did he say?”

“Why, he said they were at home, for they had been out in the morning, and had got back again.  Well, after that I went back and nearly knocked the door down.  And that was no good; I didn’t get a word.  The concierge swore they were in, and they wouldn’t so much as answer me.  Now I call that too almighty hard, and I’d like to know what in thunder they all mean by it.”

“By Jove! odd, too.”

“Well, you know, I thought after a while that it would be all explained the next day; so I went home and waited, and came back the next afternoon.  I tried it over again.  Same result.  I spoke to the concierge again, and he swore again that they were all in.  They had been out in the morning, he said, and looked well.  They had come home by noon, and had gone to their rooms.  Well, I really did start the door that time, but didn’t get any answer for my pains.”

“By Jove!”