He then went on to say that he had only this morning heard
that the intimacy between Mrs. Woffington and a Colonel Murthwaite,
although publicly broken off for prudential reasons, was still
clandestinely carried on. She had, doubtless, slipped away to meet the
colonel.
Mr. Vane turned pale.
"No! I will not suspect. I will not dog her like a bloodhound," cried he.
"I will!" said Pomander.
"You! By what right?"
"The right of curiosity. I will know whether it is you who are imposed
on, or whether you are right, and all the world is deceived in this
woman."
He ran out; but, for all his speed, when he got into the street there was
the jealous lover at his elbow. They darted with all speed into the
Strand; got a coach. Sir Charles, on the box, gave Jehu a guinea, and
took the reins--and by a Niagara of whipcord they attained Lambeth; and
at length, to his delight, Pomander saw another coach before him with a
gold-laced black slave behind it. The coach stopped; and the slave came
to the door. The shop in question was a few hundred yards distant. The
adroit Sir Charles not only stopped but turned his coach, and let the
horses crawl back toward London; he also flogged the side panels to draw
the attention of Mr. Vane. That gentleman looked through the little
circular window at the back of the vehicle, and saw a lady paying the
coachman.
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