Hereupon I glanced up, for I had walked with my gaze bent earthward,
and saw that we were close upon the river.
"Since we are here," I answered, "I will show you where it--she lies.
It was yonder they found her, and over there, beyond those trees, is a
wretched tavern--"
"And on the other side of the hedge, Perry, is a small, unpleasant
person who peeps and peers and follows. Let us investigate!"
So saying, Anthony turned suddenly and confronted a small,
mean-looking fellow who starting back out of reach, touched a shaggy
eyebrow, cringed, and spoke:
"No offence, my lords an' gents--none in th' world, s' help me true!"
Having said which, he clapped fingers to mouth and whistled very
shrilly. "Not by no means nowise meanin' no offence, my lords," quoth
he apologetically, "but dooty is dooty--an' 'ere 'e be!" Glancing
whither he pointed, I saw a man approaching, a shortish,
broad-shouldered, square-faced, leisurely person in a broad-brimmed,
low-crowned hat and full-skirted frieze greatcoat; a man of slow gait
and deliberate movement but with a quick and roving eye.
"Th' little 'un's th' gent, guv'nor--'e's th' cove! whispered the
mean-looking fellow hoarsely, and now I recognised him as one of the
two waterside characters I had met that morning with my uncle Jervas.
The man in the frieze coat removed his hat, bobbed round head at
Anthony, at me, and spoke, addressing himself to me:
"'T is in ewidence, sir, as you an' another gent 'appened to be
a-passin' by when a lately de-funct o' the fe-male persuasion vas took
out o' th' river at the hour o' four-two-two pre-cisely, this 'ere
werry mornin'.
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