It is
scarcely probable that my Lady is in constant communication with her
stern porteress, and my person was evidently unknown. For her own sake,
as well as that of the small fee I dropped into her hand, she is
unlikely to report my reconnoissance."
Sir Amyas was frantic to go with his father-in-law, but both the elder
men justly thought that his ambiguous claims would but complicate the
matter. The landlord was consulted as to the acting magistrates of
the time, and gave two or three addresses.
Another night of prayer, suspense, and hope for Betty's sick heart.
Then, immediately after breakfast, the Major set forth, attended by
Palmer, long before Mr. Belamour had left his room, or the young
baronet could escape from his military duties. Being outside the
City, the Strand was under the jurisdiction of justices of the peace
for Middlesex, and they had so much more than they could do properly,
that some of them did it as little as possible. The first magistrate
would not see him, because it was too early to attend to business; the
second never heard matters at his private house, and referred him to
the office in Bow Street. In fact he would have been wiser to have
gone thither at first, but he had hoped to have saved time. He had
to wait sitting on a greasy chair when he could no longer stand, till
case after case was gone through, and when he finally had a hearing
and applied for a warrant to search for his daughter in Delavie House,
there was much surprise and reluctance to put such an insult on a
lady of quality in favour at Court.
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