runtohislodgings。Iwouldhavedoneitbefore，butIthoughtthey’dbehereeveryminute，andIwereafraidofmissingthem。I’llbebackinnotime。“No，mygoodfellow，Ireallymustgo。Besides，IbegintothinkJohnsonmusthavemadeamistake，andhavefixedwiththisWilliamWilsontomeetmeatthecourts。Ifyouliketowaitforhimhere，praymakeuseofmyroom；butI’veanotionIshallfindhimthere：inwhichcase，I’llsendhimtoyourlodgings；shallI？Youknowwheretofindme。Ishallbehereagainbyeighto’clock，andwiththeevidenceofthiswitnessthat’stoprovethealibi，I’llhavethebriefdrawnout，andinthehandsofcounselto-night。“Sosaying，heshookhandswithJob，andwenthisway。Theoldmanconsideredforaminuteashelingeredatthedoor，andthenbenthisstepstowardsMrsJones’s，whereheknewfromreferencetoqueer，odd，heterogeneousmemoranda，inanancientblack-leatherpocket-bookthatWilllodged，andwherehedoubtednotheshouldhearbothofhimandofMary。Hewentthere，andgatheredwhatintelligencehecouldoutofMrsJones’sslowreplies。Heaskedifayoungwomanhadbeentherethatmorning，andifshehadseenWillWilson。“No!““Whynot？““Why，blessyou，’causehehadsailedsomehoursbeforeshecameaskingforhim。“Therewasadeadsilence，brokenonlybytheeven，heavysoundofMrsJones’sironing。“Whereistheyoungwomannow？“askedJob。“Somewheredownatthedocks，“shethought。“Charleywouldknow，ifhewasin，buthewasn’t。Hewasinmischief，somewhereorother，shehadnodoubt。Boys。alwayswere。Hewouldbreakhisnecksomedaysheknew；“
sosaying，shequietlyspatuponherfreshiron，totestitsheat，andthenwentonwithherbusiness。Jobcouldhaveboxedher，hewasinsuchastateofirritation。Buthedidnot，andhehadhisreward。Charleycamein，whistlingwithanairofindifference，assumedtocarryoffhisknowledgeofthelatenessofthehourtowhichhehadlingeredaboutthedocks。“Here’sanoldmancometoknowwheretheyoungwomanis，whowentoutwiththeethismorning，“saidhismother，aftershehadbestowedonhimalittlemotherlyscolding。“Wheresheisnow，Idon’tknow。IsawherlastsailingdowntheriveraftertheJohnCropper。I’mafeardshewon’treachher；windchanged，andshewouldbeunderweigh，andoverthebarinnotime。Sheshouldhavebeenbackbynow。“IttookJobsomelittletimetounderstandthisfromtheconfuseduseofthefemininepronoun。ThenheinquiredhowhecouldbestfindMary。“I’llrundownagaintothepier，“saidtheboy；“I’llwarrantI’llfindher。““Thoushaltdonosuchthing，“saidhismother，settingherbackagainstthedoor。TheladmadeacomicalfaceatJob，whichmetwithnoresponsivelookfromtheoldman，whosesympathieswerenaturallyinfavouroftheparent，althoughhewouldthankfullyhaveavailedhimselfofCharley’soffer；forhewasweary，andanxioustoreturntopoorMrsWilson，whowouldbewonderingwhathadbecomeofhim。“HowcanIbestfindher？Whodidshegowith，lad？“ButCharleywassullenathismother’sexerciseofauthoritybeforeastranger，andatthatstranger’sravelookswhenhemeanttohavemadehimlaugh。“Theywereriverboatmen；——that’sallIknow，“saidhe。“Butwhatwasthenameoftheirboat？“perseveredJob。“Inevertooknonotice；——theAnne，orWilliam，——orsomeofthemcommonnames，I’llbebound。““Whatpierdidshestartfrom？“askedJob，despairingly。“Oh，asforthatmatteritwerethestairsonthePrince’sPiershestartedfrom；butshe’llnotcomebacktothesame，fortheAmericansteamercameupwiththetide，andanchoredclosetoit，blockingupthewayforallthesmallercraft。It’saroughevening，too，tobeouton，“hemaliciouslyadded。“Well，God’swillbedone!Ididhopewecouldhavesavedthelad，“saidJob，sorrowfully；“butI’mgettenverydoubtfulagain。I’muneasyaboutMarytoo，——very。She’sastrangerinLiverpool。““Soshetoldme，“saidCharley。“There’strapsaboutforyoungwomenateverycorner。It’sapityshehasnoonetomeetherwhenshelands。““Asforthat，“repliedJob，“Idon’tseehowanyonecouldmeetherwhenwecan’ttellwhereshewouldcometo。Imusttrusttohercomingright。
She’sgettenspiritandsense。She’llmostlikelybeforcominghereagain。
Indeed，Idon’tknowwhatelseshecando，forsheknowsnootherplaceinLiverpool。Missus，ifshecomes，willyougiveyoursonleavetobringhertoNo。8，BackGardenCourt，wherethere’sfriendswaitingforher？
I’llgivehimsixpenceforhistrouble。“MrsJones，pleasedwiththereferencetoher，gladlypromised。AndevenCharley，indignantashewasatfirstattheideaofhismotionsbeingunderthecontrolofhismother，wasmollifiedattheprospectofthesixpence，andattheprobabilityofgettingnearertotheheartofthemystery。ButMarynevercame。