Speaker 1: The tin box. If I were you, Perkins, said mister
Speaker 1: Booth one evening in the smoking room, I should take
Speaker 1: care what I was about with that little widow. You mean,
Speaker 1: Missus Williams, I inquired, Oh is that her name? Remarked
Speaker 1: my friend, carelessly refilling his pipe with deliberation. Why you
Speaker 1: know it is, I returned rather sharply. I have a
Speaker 1: bad memory for names, said mister Booth, with a slight shrug.
Speaker 1: You seem to be getting quite intimate. I am decently
Speaker 1: civil to her, I replied significantly, and I have avoided her. Yes,
Speaker 1: that's quite true, said mister Booth, smiling. Perhaps I instinctively
Speaker 1: share mister Weller Senior's antipathy to widows. Anyhow, I don't
Speaker 1: like the face of this one. I was astonished and
Speaker 1: rather disturbed at this. I had great confidence in my
Speaker 1: friend's judgment. But when I recalled to mind the refined
Speaker 1: and delicate features, the soft, trustful brown eyes, the gentle voice,
Speaker 1: and the timid, shrinking manner of the unfortunate lady he
Speaker 1: referred to, I was filled with indignation at his cynical attitude.
Speaker 1: Missus Williams had resided at Elvira House for about a
Speaker 1: week or ten days with her only child, a pretty
Speaker 1: little girl of five years old, and owing to the
Speaker 1: accident of being placed next to her at the dinner table,
Speaker 1: I had struck up an acquaintance with her, for she
Speaker 1: was neither remarkably good looking nor particular young, and my
Speaker 1: predilection was rather due to sympathy and good nature than
Speaker 1: to admiration for her personal charms. Besides, she was apparently
Speaker 1: the last person to quote attention for her. Whole thoughts
Speaker 1: seemed centered upon her child, whom she evidently adored. I
Speaker 1: fancy she maneuvered a little to get put next to
Speaker 1: you at the table, said mister Booth, watching me quietly.
Speaker 1: You wouldn't say that if you knew her better, I
Speaker 1: retorted hotly. You think it was an accident, Well, perhaps,
Speaker 1: said my companion in his enigmatical way. I'm sure of it,
Speaker 1: I said emphatically. Missus Nicks arranged it all right, old fellow.
Speaker 1: It is no concern of mine, said mister Booth, good humoredly.
Speaker 1: Only I shouldn't lend her any more money if I
Speaker 1: were you, How do you know I have done so?
Speaker 1: I inquired, brandoning. You asked me to change your check
Speaker 1: the other day. It is a mere guess. But putting
Speaker 1: two and two together, you happen to be ripe. For once,
Speaker 1: I interrupted with some vexation. I lent her ten pounds
Speaker 1: till her dividends fall due on Tuesday next. I suppose
Speaker 1: you are going to suggest that the money is lost.
Speaker 1: It depends upon her circumstances, he replied, nodding his head.
Speaker 1: Well do you know anything about her? Come Booth, out
Speaker 1: with it, I exclaimed, irritably. I how should, I said,
Speaker 1: he raising his eyebrows. I have that I seen her
Speaker 1: before in my life. She's the widow of mister John Williams,
Speaker 1: who died about two years ago. He lived at Gateshead
Speaker 1: and was a wholesale tobacconist. He left everything to her
Speaker 1: by his will. I explained, to show that I was
Speaker 1: not wholly ignorant of the lady's affairs. How do you know,
Speaker 1: inquired mister Booth. She showed me a probate, I replied,
Speaker 1: I didn't ask her, but when she requested me to
Speaker 1: accommodate her with that trifle of her money, she volunteered
Speaker 1: to explain how she was situated. I see, observed mister Booth,
Speaker 1: apparently impressed. Unfortunately, the poor lady was left very badly off.
Speaker 1: I went on, mollified by the change in my friend's manner,
Speaker 1: which was now more sympathetic, And that is what now
Speaker 1: brings her up to town. She has a fixed belief
Speaker 1: that her husband, who seems to have been somewhat eccentric
Speaker 1: in his later days, deposited some money or securities at
Speaker 1: some bank in London or elsewhere. Has she any clue,
Speaker 1: inquired mister Booth, manifestly interested, Not that I know of.
Speaker 1: She is very reticent, I replied. She hasn't asked for
Speaker 1: your assistance. Then said my friend, no, of course I
Speaker 1: should be pleased to help if I could, I said,
Speaker 1: with a touch of defiance in my tone. Mister Booth
Speaker 1: did not gainsay me this time. Either he was tired
Speaker 1: of the subject, or else he perceived that I rather
Speaker 1: resented his interference. At all events, he relapsed into one
Speaker 1: of his silent mood woods in which he was wont
Speaker 1: to indulge, and sat puffing at his pipe with his
Speaker 1: eyes fixed on the fire for the remainder of the evening,
Speaker 1: without joining in general conversation, which presently ensued as the
Speaker 1: other guests strolled in. I was annoyed with him, because
Speaker 1: I thought his opinion of poor little missus Williams was
Speaker 1: unreasonably prejudiced and very unjust. Nevertheless, his warning was not
Speaker 1: quite thrown away upon me, for I determined to observe
Speaker 1: her with closer attention. The only result of this, however,
Speaker 1: was to convince me more firmly than ever of her
Speaker 1: absolute good faith. Though I confess that I began to
Speaker 1: realize that her refinement of speech and manner was partly assumed.
Speaker 1: In unguarded moments, she occasionally dropped an aspirate, and when
Speaker 1: she grew a little excited in speaking of her efforts
Speaker 1: to trace her husband's missing estate, she sometimes made use
Speaker 1: of expressions which were suggestive of a humble origin. But
Speaker 1: these slight solecisms were hardly perceptible, and of course a
Speaker 1: defective education is at most a misfortune for the rest.
Speaker 1: She continued to interest me greatly, and when punctually on
Speaker 1: the appointed day she repaid me the ten pounds with
Speaker 1: many fervent expressions of gratitude. I could not forbear exulting
Speaker 1: over my friend. That is all right, he said laughingly
Speaker 1: on hearing the news. But looked a little shamefaced, as
Speaker 1: I thought, you needn't tell her. I gave you a
Speaker 1: friendly warning. Of course not, I replied indignantly. Any news
Speaker 1: about her husband's property, he asked carelessly. None. She has
Speaker 1: looked up all his London friends and done everything she can,
Speaker 1: I answered. Why doesn't she advertise in the newspapers. She
Speaker 1: did so more than a year ago, in the Times
Speaker 1: and other journals. Have you anything to suggest, I inquired anxiously. No, don't,
Speaker 1: for goodness sake, my dear fellow ask me to mix
Speaker 1: myself up in the lady's affairs, he said, with more
Speaker 1: temper than he usually displayed. I would rather you didn't
Speaker 1: even tell her. You have consulted me about them. I
Speaker 1: promised this more readily because I suddenly remembered having once
Speaker 1: suggested to Missus Williams that she should ask the advice
Speaker 1: of a friend of mine, having mister Booth in my
Speaker 1: mind in her difficulty, and had been met by a
Speaker 1: decided and emphatic refusal. The incident had made no impression
Speaker 1: on me at the time, by the idea now occurred
Speaker 1: to me that perhaps Missus Williams had guessed whom I
Speaker 1: referred to and had been moved by resentment at the
Speaker 1: marked coldness which mister Booth always displayed towards her. I
Speaker 1: had assured him quite truthfully that missus Williams had never
Speaker 1: asked me to assist her in her search, nor had
Speaker 1: I foreseen that she would do so. But a few
Speaker 1: mornings afterwards, the youth who did the valeting of the
Speaker 1: male portion of the establishment, entered my room while I
Speaker 1: was shaving, with an urgent message from the lady that
Speaker 1: she was waiting for me in the drawing room and
Speaker 1: would be obliged if I would descend there as soon
Speaker 1: as possible. I found the little widow looking very pale
Speaker 1: and excited, with an open letter in her hand, which
Speaker 1: had arrived by the earth directly I appeared. She flourished
Speaker 1: triumphantly a slip of blue paper, exclaiming, eagerly see mister Perkins,
Speaker 1: what I have received this morning. My sister, who is
Speaker 1: taking charge of my house at Gateshead, founded between the
Speaker 1: leaves of a book, Boswell's Life of Johnson, which she
Speaker 1: took out quite by chance from the bookcase in the
Speaker 1: dining room. My poor husband was devoted to that work
Speaker 1: and was constantly reading it during his illness. I am
Speaker 1: not much of a reader myself, and if hadn't been
Speaker 1: for my sister, the paper might have remained undiscovered for years.
Speaker 1: While Missus Williams was thus breathlessly explaining, I glanced at
Speaker 1: the document, which was a form of receipt or acknowledgment
Speaker 1: from Messrs Drake Crump and Company, bankers of Fleet Street,
Speaker 1: for a tin box deposited with them by her husband
Speaker 1: for safe custody on a specified date. I congratulate you,
Speaker 1: I replied, thinking how attractive she looked in her excitement.
Speaker 1: It is indeed a fortunate discovery. I knew it. I
Speaker 1: was sure he had done something of the kind, exclaimed
Speaker 1: Missus Williams joyfully, but he was very secretive about his affairs.
Speaker 1: Lately it became quite a mania with him. I shouldn't
Speaker 1: be surprised to find the box contains property of great value.
Speaker 1: The receipt I see is dated about six months before
Speaker 1: your husband died. I observed, Yes, we were up in
Speaker 1: town then, staying in lodgings in Edward Square, Kensington, replied
Speaker 1: Missus Williams reflectively. I brought him to see a physician,
Speaker 1: though nobody suspected at the time. I am the serious
Speaker 1: nature of his symptoms. He used frequently to go out alone.
Speaker 1: And I suppose he got the box from his broker's
Speaker 1: or from some lawyer. Anyhow, he deposited it with Drake
Speaker 1: Crumpet Company. There is no doubt about that, I remarked,
Speaker 1: feeling quite carried away by the widow's satisfaction. I suppose
Speaker 1: you will call upon them and claim it at once. Yes,
Speaker 1: unless I really feel quite ashamed to ask such a
Speaker 1: favor of you, mister Perkins. But I was going to say,
Speaker 1: unless you would mind calling upon them in the first instance.
Speaker 1: The fact is my little girl is not very well
Speaker 1: to day, and besides, this delightful surprise has rather upset me.
Speaker 1: My head ached dreadfully, said Missus Williams, putting her white
Speaker 1: hand to her brow, but smiling bravely. Oh, I shall
Speaker 1: be very pleased, I answered readily. You had better give
Speaker 1: me the probate of your husband's bill. The banker will
Speaker 1: probably want to see that. Certainly, I'll go and fetch it.
Speaker 1: I am so very obliged to you, mister Perkins, said
Speaker 1: the widow, grasping my hand as she left the room.
Speaker 1: Our interview thus terminated. Missus Williams brought down the official parchment,
Speaker 1: and armed with this, I hastened after breakfast to call
Speaker 1: upon Messrs Drake Crump and Company, feeling quite interested and
Speaker 1: excited about the affair. I did not have an opportunity
Speaker 1: of telling mister Booth of my errand he was late
Speaker 1: for breakfast. I remember that I was impatient to be
Speaker 1: off so as to look in at the bank on
Speaker 1: my way to business. I merely mention this, because, as
Speaker 1: will appear later, he afterwards blamed me for not having
Speaker 1: confided in him at this juncture. The banking establishment of
Speaker 1: Messrs Drake, Crump and Company was a small private concern
Speaker 1: which has long since been absorbed by one of those
Speaker 1: big joint stock undertakings. In those days, its affairs were
Speaker 1: conducted in a dingy old house with barred windows, but
Speaker 1: half way down Fleet Street in a leisurely sleepy kind
Speaker 1: of way. The cashier's office was in the front room,
Speaker 1: the staff consisting of three or four elderly clerks, and
Speaker 1: on presenting my card, I was ushered into a gloomy
Speaker 1: little apartment at the back, where sat a quaint, white
Speaker 1: headed old gentleman in knee breeches who was evidently one
Speaker 1: of the partners. Dear me, this is very strange, he exclaimed.
Speaker 1: When I had explained my business, mister Williams is dead,
Speaker 1: is he well? Well, we were wondering. We haven't heard
Speaker 1: anything about him for a long time. He has been
Speaker 1: dead for more than two years, I replied, two years. Eh,
Speaker 1: let me see, he observed, as he rang a handbell
Speaker 1: upon the table. Mister Jameson, he added, as a clerk appeared.
Speaker 1: When did we last hear from John Williams. He has
Speaker 1: not drawn on his account for upwards of two years.
Speaker 1: His past book is here, answered the clerk. Oh, then
Speaker 1: he had a current account as well, I exclaimed, A
Speaker 1: small one, yes, replied the old gentleman. What is the balance,
Speaker 1: mister Jameson, About one hundred and thirty pounds, said the clerk.
Speaker 1: You see the past book being here and the receipt
Speaker 1: for the box, mislaid. His widow had no clue, I
Speaker 1: explained eagerly. Quite so, quite so, and this is the
Speaker 1: probate of his will, hey, said the old gentleman, taking
Speaker 1: it up and holding it close to his nose. I
Speaker 1: wonder you didn't see the advertisements in the papers, I remarked.
Speaker 1: His widow knew he had property somewhere, but and she
Speaker 1: advertised extraordinary that that should have escaped us. We always
Speaker 1: keep a lookout, said the old gentleman, glancing through the probate.
Speaker 1: When did the advertisements appear? I cannot tell you the date,
Speaker 1: Missus Williams will I answered, And you are a friend
Speaker 1: of the widow's, inquired the old gentleman, looking at me
Speaker 1: pretty keenly over his spectacles. Yes, Hm, the probate seems
Speaker 1: all right. She is the sole executrix, I see. Of course,
Speaker 1: if she wants to withdraw the money and take away
Speaker 1: the box, she must attend in person. You can identify her,
Speaker 1: I suppose, and verify her signature. Certainly, Hm, you are
Speaker 1: mister John Perkins of the Monarchy Insurance Office, he said,
Speaker 1: scrutinizing my card. Who is your present manager, mister Middleton?
Speaker 1: To be sure I have the pleasure of knowing him
Speaker 1: making my compliments, said the old man quaintly. I will
Speaker 1: I suppose Missus Williams can raw on the account and
Speaker 1: have access to the box when she chooses, I inquired, Hm, hmm,
Speaker 1: I see the testitur was described in his will as
Speaker 1: of Gateshead, said the old gentleman. Doubtfully, that isn't the
Speaker 1: address in our box. He lived there and his widow
Speaker 1: lives there still, I replied. Missus Williams tells me at
Speaker 1: the date of that deposit receipt they were residing in
Speaker 1: lodgings in Edward Square, Kensington. Quite right, that is the
Speaker 1: address be gave. Well, sir, he added, replying to my
Speaker 1: former question, as everything seems satisfactory, if you will leave
Speaker 1: the probate for registration and call here with the lady
Speaker 1: any time after twelve o'clock tomorrow, the box can be
Speaker 1: given up good morning. I was very pleased for Missus
Speaker 1: William's sake to find that everything straightforward, and the fact
Speaker 1: of there being a substantial sum of money to the
Speaker 1: dead man's credit, which the widow evidently knew nothing about,
Speaker 1: would I thought be some compensation in case the contents
Speaker 1: of the box should turn out to be less valuable
Speaker 1: than she anticipated. Later in the day, my chief, mister
Speaker 1: Middleton surprised me by coming up to my desk at
Speaker 1: the office and saying, mister Perkins, I have just answered
Speaker 1: an inquiry about you, an inquiry, I exclaimed, rather startled.
Speaker 1: Yes from Messrs Drake Crump and Company of Fleet Street.
Speaker 1: Have you some private business with them, he asked, curiously,
Speaker 1: and not of my own, Sir, A lady in whose
Speaker 1: affairs I am interested. All right, mister Perkins, I don't
Speaker 1: wish to inquire details, he said, smiling at my embarrassment.
Speaker 1: I was, of course pleased to out for your respectability
Speaker 1: and integrity. Thank you, sir, I replied, secretly, annoyed at
Speaker 1: the banker's inquisitiveness.
Speaker 2: I now perceived that I had been more service to
Speaker 2: missus Williams than I had anticipated, having unconsciously acted as
Speaker 2: a sort of reference for her, and thereby saved her
Speaker 2: perhaps some little trouble with regard to identification. This gave
Speaker 2: an additional zest to the pleasure of being able to
Speaker 2: make such a satisfactory report to her on my return,
Speaker 2: and I am bound to say that the widow was
Speaker 2: duly grateful. She overwhelmed me with expressions of thanks, and
Speaker 2: was really disposed to exaggerate my small civility. I wrote
Speaker 2: a letter at her request to Messrs Drake Crump and Company,
Speaker 2: fixing an appointment with them for two o'clock on the
Speaker 2: following afternoon, and appending a specimen of Missus Billiant's signature,
Speaker 2: and of course I rapidly agreed to accompany her. When
Speaker 2: I told mister Booth all this, he manifested considerable irritation, which,
Speaker 2: in my surprise, I was foolish enough to attribute to
Speaker 2: a sort of jealousy, since I could imagine no other
Speaker 2: possible cause for his ill humor.
Speaker 1: What the deuce do you want go meddling with this
Speaker 1: woman's affairs for Perkins, he said, sharply. What harm have
Speaker 1: I done? I exclaimed, harm? Hum that remains to be seen,
Speaker 1: he growled, puffing angrily at his pipe. I cannot understand
Speaker 1: your prejudice against this poor lady, I said, getting angry
Speaker 1: in my turn, I take no interest in her whatever,
Speaker 1: said mister Booth. That's no reason why I shouldn't. I retorted, Oh,
Speaker 1: go your own way. Only remember that I warned you,
Speaker 1: said mister Booth, dismissing the subject with an impatient shrug.
Speaker 1: We might almost have quarreled, but I was really more
Speaker 1: amused than angry that my friend soon recovered his temper.
Speaker 1: Nothing more was said between us about Missus Williams, and
Speaker 1: I attached so little importance to mister Booth's vague warnings
Speaker 1: that it never even occurred to me to cancel the
Speaker 1: appointment I had made Accordingly. The next day, at two o'clock,
Speaker 1: I was waiting for the widow at the door of
Speaker 1: Messrs Drake, Crump and Company's bank, as arranged, and being
Speaker 1: rather pressed to get back to my office, I began
Speaker 1: to grow impatient as she did not appear. Ten twenty
Speaker 1: forty minutes passed without any sign of her, and I
Speaker 1: was on the point of leaving, thinking the lady had
Speaker 1: made a mistake, when I suddenly espied her on the
Speaker 1: opposite side of the way, coming up the street from
Speaker 1: the direction of Saint Paul's. She looked pale and fatigued,
Speaker 1: and as I hastened to her assistance, I saw her
Speaker 1: glance nervously over her shoulder at a slouching, white bearded,
Speaker 1: ragged old beggar man who appeared to be following her.
Speaker 1: What is the matter? Has anything happened? I inquired? Oh no,
Speaker 1: I lost my way, that's all, said Missus Williams, with
Speaker 1: a nervous laugh. Has that fellow been annoying you? I asked,
Speaker 1: lowering my voice. As the old beggar slunk by hurriedly.
Speaker 1: That man exclaimed Missus Williams, glancing after him. Oh no,
Speaker 1: I hadn't noticed him. I gave her my arm and
Speaker 1: escorted her across the crowded road into the back. In
Speaker 1: the parlor. At the back we found old mister Crump
Speaker 1: awaiting us, and on a side table was a good
Speaker 1: sized tin box with Missus Williams's name inscribed upon it
Speaker 1: on a paper label. There it is, exclaimed the widow,
Speaker 1: as her eyes sparkled. I remember it now. I always
Speaker 1: wondered what became of it. Have you the key, madam,
Speaker 1: inquired mister Crump, after greeting us with the old fashioned
Speaker 1: courtesy and bowing very low to my companion. I think so.
Speaker 1: At least I have one or two keys here which
Speaker 1: I haven't been able to account for, said Missus Williams,
Speaker 1: producing her purse eagerly. She selected one of the keys, and,
Speaker 1: crossing over to the box, succeeded in opening it immediately.
Speaker 1: I only had a glimpse of the contents before Missus
Speaker 1: Williams shut down the lid and relocked it, And as
Speaker 1: they were done up in brown paper parcels or packages,
Speaker 1: I could form no idea of their nature or value.
Speaker 1: I have prepared a check so that you can draw
Speaker 1: out the money if you wish, said mister Crump. Thank you,
Speaker 1: replied Missus Williams, seating herself at his desk and affixing
Speaker 1: her signature to the draft. Will you take it in cash,
Speaker 1: asked mister Crump. Yes, please in notes and twenty pounds
Speaker 1: in gold, said the widow with a businesslike promptitude, as
Speaker 1: she drew on her glove again. Mister Crump summoned the cashier,
Speaker 1: to whom he handed the draft with the necessary directions,
Speaker 1: to which I added a request that the porter may
Speaker 1: be permitted to call a cab during the absence of
Speaker 1: the Mister Crump observed in course of the conversation, which
Speaker 1: naturally turned on the late mister Williams eccentric conduct with
Speaker 1: regard to his property. By the way, I have looked
Speaker 1: through the files of the Times for the advertisement, but
Speaker 1: I couldn't find it. What advertisement, inquired Missus Williams. I
Speaker 1: understood from mister Perkins that you had advertised in the
Speaker 1: papers for information about your husband's missing estate, said mister Crump,
Speaker 1: looking at me. Oh, yes, so I did, answered the widow,
Speaker 1: coloring slightly. What was the date asked mister Crump. Really,
Speaker 1: I cannot at the moment recollect. I can send you
Speaker 1: a copy of it when I get back, if it
Speaker 1: is of any moment, said Missus Williams rather sharply. It
Speaker 1: is of no consequence, of course, replied the old gentleman,
Speaker 1: evidently perturbed at seeing that the lady showed signs of resentment.
Speaker 1: I merely asked out of curiosity. Missus Williams appeared from
Speaker 1: her manner to resent mister Crump's inquiry as insinuating some
Speaker 1: doubt upon the accuracy of her statement. But fortunately the
Speaker 1: return of the cashier with her money cost a welcome diversion.
Speaker 1: While she was towing away the notes and gold in
Speaker 1: her purse, the cashier looked at me and said, there
Speaker 1: is a cab at the door, Sir, shall I ask
Speaker 1: the porter to carry the box down. I think I
Speaker 1: can manage it. It is not heavy, I replied, as
Speaker 1: I have prepared to lift it.
Speaker 2: I had been thinking, mister Perkins, said Missus Williams reflectively,
Speaker 2: while putting her purse away, that perhaps it would be
Speaker 2: wiser to leave the box here for a day or
Speaker 2: two till I returned to Gateshead. That is she added,
Speaker 2: turning to the old gentleman with her pleasanter smile. If
Speaker 2: mister Crump will kindly allow me.
Speaker 1: You are welcome to leave it, Madam, at your own risk,
Speaker 1: of course, replied mister Crump, a little stiffly. You see,
Speaker 1: I have no where to keep it while I am
Speaker 1: in town. The lady explained, it would be safer here.
Speaker 1: It's a little irregular, as you are no longer a customer,
Speaker 1: said mister Crump. But still, oh, but if I find
Speaker 1: I can afford it, I shall probably come to live
Speaker 1: in London, and in that case I should certainly keep
Speaker 1: my account here, interrupted Missus Williams. Graciously. In any case,
Speaker 1: I am very pleased to oblige you, madam, said the
Speaker 1: old gentleman more politely. Those surprised that Missus Williams was
Speaker 1: able to restrain her curiosity about the contents of the box,
Speaker 1: it was obvious that her suggestion was prudent, and therefore
Speaker 1: we left the box in charge of the bank. Mister
Speaker 1: Crump bowed us out of his room very civilly, and
Speaker 1: the porter ushered us to the street door, in front
Speaker 1: of which was a four wheeled cab. Just as we
Speaker 1: reached it. The old gray haired beggar man, whom I
Speaker 1: had noticed before, rushed forward and obscusely turned the handle.
Speaker 1: Missus Williams sprang lightly into the vehicle, and again, I thought,
Speaker 1: she glanced nervously at the caging old rascal. Here you
Speaker 1: be off, my man, I said to him, sharply, No, no, here,
Speaker 1: my poor fellow. Is something for you, said Missus Williams,
Speaker 1: And before I could prevent her, she put her hand
Speaker 1: over my shoulder and gave the beggar a sixpence. You
Speaker 1: shouldn't be so foolish, I said, laughingly, as the old
Speaker 1: man shuffled off with his price. Think of my good luck,
Speaker 1: mister Perkins, laughed the widow. I gave the cabman the
Speaker 1: address of Elvira House and lifted my hat to Missus
Speaker 1: Williams from the payment as she drove away, little imagining
Speaker 1: that she would have left London before I returned in
Speaker 1: the evening. But so it happened, for when I reached
Speaker 1: Elvira House at the end of the day, I learned
Speaker 1: that the widow had received a telegram an hour or
Speaker 1: so previously, summoning her to bath on the account of
Speaker 1: the illness of her mother. She left many kind messages
Speaker 1: for you, added missus Nicks. When she gave me the information.
Speaker 2: She said she would write to you in the course
Speaker 2: of a day or two.
Speaker 1: She was dreadfully upset, poor thing at the sad news.
Speaker 1: I did not even know she had a mother living.
Speaker 1: I remarked, you were the only person she confided in,
Speaker 1: said missus Nicks playfully. I suppose the little girl has
Speaker 1: gone too, I observed, a trifle abashed. Yes, a sweet child.
Speaker 1: Everyone is so sorry to lose them. Missus Williams was
Speaker 1: a universal favorite, said missus Nicks.
Speaker 2: This was evidently the case, to judge from the expressions
Speaker 2: of regret which were uttered at the dinner table when
Speaker 2: her departure became generally known. We had rather a reduced
Speaker 2: company that evening, there being several wakened places. The Major
Speaker 2: had gone to attend some races at York, whither mister
Speaker 2: Booth was understood to have accompanied him, and two or
Speaker 2: three of our guests were dining out. I was surprised
Speaker 2: to hear of my friend having yielded to the Major's persuasions,
Speaker 2: for when the latter had brought the subject of the
Speaker 2: expedition in the smoking room, on the previous evening. Mister
Speaker 2: Booth had flatly refused the invitation, but horse racing was
Speaker 2: a form of sport which seemed to possess extraordinary attractions
Speaker 2: for him, and I supposed he had been partly influenced
Speaker 2: by desire to keep his companion out of mischief. I
Speaker 2: must confess that I felt a little depressed at the
Speaker 2: widow's unexpected absence. It was quite untrue that I admired her,
Speaker 2: but her confidences had heightened my platonic regard, and her
Speaker 2: personality undoubtedly attracted me. I therefore awaited the promised letter
Speaker 2: with some impatience, and she was good enough not to
Speaker 2: leave me long into spense, for by the next evening's
Speaker 2: post I received from her the following epistle, dated from
Speaker 2: Lower Pulteney Street Bath. My dear mister Perkins, alas, my
Speaker 2: poor dear mother is dying, so shocking and so totally unexpected.
Speaker 2: Of course I must remain by her side till the end,
Speaker 2: and she may yet linger for some weeks. The doctor says.
Speaker 2: I hope missus snext gave you my message. I can
Speaker 2: never thank you sufficiently for all your kindness, dear mister Perkins.
Speaker 2: And yet I have a further favor to ask a
Speaker 2: few You know what sick people are. I told my
Speaker 2: dear mother, who is perfectly conscious about the box at
Speaker 2: the bank. Nothing will satisfy her but to know what
Speaker 2: it contains, as she is anxious to be assured that
Speaker 2: my little girl and I are sufficiently provided for. How
Speaker 2: I regret that I did not examine the contents that
Speaker 2: day at the bank. And now what am I to do.
Speaker 2: I dare not leave my poor mother even for an hour.
Speaker 2: I wonder whether you would undertake a journey here and
Speaker 2: bring the box with you. I know it is too
Speaker 2: much to ask, yet I have ventured to write to
Speaker 2: the bank to say that you might call. I am
Speaker 2: sure your kind heart will prompt you to do this
Speaker 2: if you possibly can. You are most faithfully and sincerely,
Speaker 2: dear mister Perkins, Amelia Williams.
Speaker 1: I was rather startled by this request, and yet well
Speaker 1: in short, I decided to comply with it. I wonder
Speaker 1: at myself now most of us have experienced similar astonishment
Speaker 1: at past foolish actions.
Speaker 2: My chief objection at the time was that I could
Speaker 2: not very well get away from the office. However, on
Speaker 2: consulting a railway timetable. I found that Bath was a
Speaker 2: much more accessible place than I had imagined. A half
Speaker 2: day holiday would be all that had acquired, for I
Speaker 2: could travel down there and return the same evening. The
Speaker 2: next day was a Saturday, so that all the indulgence
Speaker 2: I need ask of my employers was a singular in
Speaker 2: order that I might get to the bank before two
Speaker 2: o'clock to obtain the box. I therefore wrote immediately to
Speaker 2: Missus Williams to say that I would travel down by
Speaker 2: train which left Paddington at three o'clock, arriving at Bath
Speaker 2: at five fifteen, and that I should return by express,
Speaker 2: which would bring me back to town about nine. I had
Speaker 2: no reason for remaining at Bath, and I thought I
Speaker 2: might accomplish my journey before mister Booth came back. I
Speaker 2: think I must have had this vague idea of keeping
Speaker 2: my trip a secret, both from him and from the
Speaker 2: other guests, for I was a little sensitive about remarks
Speaker 2: which had been made about my attention to the widow.
Speaker 2: I duly carried out my program. The box was handed
Speaker 2: over to me at the bank without the slightest demur
Speaker 2: in consequence of a letter they had received from Missus
Speaker 2: Williams and I arrived at bath punctually at the time named.
Speaker 2: I hired a fly and drove straight to the widow's
Speaker 2: address in Lower Pulteney Street. But the servant who opened
Speaker 2: the door said, to my surprise that the lady was out,
Speaker 2: and handed me a brief penciled note from her, saying
Speaker 2: that she had been called away unexpectedly, owing to her
Speaker 2: mother's condition, and asking me to leave the box. The
Speaker 2: poor old lady is not in the house, then, I remarked, casually,
Speaker 2: what old lady, Sir inquired the girl, opening her eyes.
Speaker 2: Missus Williams's mother. Do you know where she lives? No, Sir,
Speaker 2: I don't never heard her mention she had a mother
Speaker 2: here in, Sir, added the girl. But Missus Williams is
Speaker 2: in constant attendance upon her mother, who is dying, I exclaimed.
Speaker 2: Missus Williams has hardly left the house since she has
Speaker 2: been here, Sir, said the girl, evidently struck by my surprise.
Speaker 2: She and her little girl went for a drive in
Speaker 2: a fly about an hour ago. I don't know where
Speaker 2: they went to, she said. If a gentleman came and
Speaker 2: left the tin box, I was to take great care
Speaker 2: of it. Did Missus Williams say when she would return?
Speaker 2: I inquired, with an uneasy feeling. She said I was
Speaker 2: to have tea ready at six o'clock. Sir replied the girl,
Speaker 2: glancing back at the clock. I will come in and wait,
Speaker 2: I said, with sudden resolution. As I stepped inside the hall.
Speaker 2: The servant, whose good faith was manifest ushered me into
Speaker 2: a neat parlor and then left me after again as
Speaker 2: of rating in answer to pressing inquiries, that Missus Williams
Speaker 2: was certainly not in attendance on an invalid Indeed, it
Speaker 2: was impossible to doubt from the girl's detailed account of
Speaker 2: the widow's movement since her arrival in Bath that the
Speaker 2: story of the Dying Mother was a complete fiction.
Speaker 1: I felt very much like a person who has unexpectedly
Speaker 1: received a doush of cold water. At first sight, it
Speaker 1: seemed as though the story had been merely a device
Speaker 1: to work upon my feelings in order to induce me
Speaker 1: to bring the box down to Bath. Even so, however,
Speaker 1: it was extraordinary behavior on Missus Williams's part to absent
Speaker 1: herself just at the hour of my arrival. She had
Speaker 1: evidently counted upon my leaving the box and returning at
Speaker 1: once to London as I had planned. But why this
Speaker 1: sudden reluctance to meet me, to say nothing of the
Speaker 1: ungrateful discourtesy. I grimly resolved to await an explanation, And
Speaker 1: when I recalled at mine that Missus Williams had given
Speaker 1: the alleged illness of her mother as an excuse for
Speaker 1: hurried departure from Elvira House, my mystification increased. The repeated
Speaker 1: warnings of mister Booth rose unpleasantly to my mind, and
Speaker 1: I had worked myself into a state of mingled indignation
Speaker 1: and resentment. When a ring at the street door bell announced,
Speaker 1: as I imagined the return of Missus Williams, I awaited
Speaker 1: her with a considerable trepidation, for I felt that my
Speaker 1: position was both painful and embarrassing. I heard servants respond
Speaker 1: to the summons, and the next moment the room door
Speaker 1: was thrown open, and who should walk in but mister Booth.
Speaker 1: I started and stared at him as though I had
Speaker 1: seen a ghost, while he seemed equally surprised at seeing me.
Speaker 1: Though he recovered himself quickly. He glanced at the box
Speaker 1: on the table, and his eyes twinkled. HULLO. I thought
Speaker 1: you were at York, I gasped, And I thought you
Speaker 1: were in London, he said, smiling at my astonishment. I
Speaker 1: am waiting to see missus Williams, I explained. She is
Speaker 1: a very clever little woman, he said emphatically. You came
Speaker 1: by the five fifteen train. I suppose with that. Yes,
Speaker 1: while she to put me off the scent seeks to
Speaker 1: lead me a wild goose chaise so as to leave
Speaker 1: the coast clear, he added, nodding his head. I've found
Speaker 1: a note from her asking me to leave the box,
Speaker 1: I said, resentfully. Yes, she didn't mean to be impolite
Speaker 1: to you, said mister Boots, slyly. The fact is she
Speaker 1: has been so closely shadowed that, if she had stayed
Speaker 1: at home for you, your arrival with the box would
Speaker 1: have been noticed. I suspected a trick, though I must
Speaker 1: own that my calling here in her absence was nothing
Speaker 1: short of an inspiration, he added, with great satisfaction. Perhaps
Speaker 1: you will kindly explain it all, I exclaimed, with a
Speaker 1: show of indignation, which was intended to disguise my increasing confusion.
Speaker 1: Not now, he said, coolly, taking possession of the box.
Speaker 1: Unless you want an awkward scene with the woman, which
Speaker 1: might end in my having to call in the police.
Speaker 1: In that case, my friend, you would figure somewhat unpleas
Speaker 1: presently before the public as an innocent accomplice in an
Speaker 1: awkward affair. We had better clear out before she returns.
Speaker 1: But the box belongs to missus Williams, I exclaimed, horrified.
Speaker 1: Well it does, and it doesn't. I'll explain going along. Meanwhile,
Speaker 1: possession is nine points of the law, he said, putting
Speaker 1: the box under his arm and moving to the door.
Speaker 1: I was scared by the suggestion of a public scandal,
Speaker 1: and I had complete faith in my friend. I therefore
Speaker 1: put on my hat and followed him and by rushing
Speaker 1: through the streets until we met a fly, which drove
Speaker 1: us at full speed to the station. We just contrived
Speaker 1: to catch the six point five train back to Torown
Speaker 1: as it was beginning to move away. Well, I inquired eagerly,
Speaker 1: as soon as I had recovered my breath. We had,
Speaker 1: fortunately and quite my chance, secured an empty first class compartment.
Speaker 1: Mister Booth was leaning back with an air of calm triumph,
Speaker 1: lighting a cigar while his feet resting on the tin
Speaker 1: box missus Williams, he said quietly, is the wife of
Speaker 1: an accomplished forger and swell mobsman, who is at present
Speaker 1: undergoing the felicity of fourteen years penal servitude. The wife,
Speaker 1: I gasped, Yes, his real name is Bolton, but he
Speaker 1: called himself Williams, among other aliases in that name. He
Speaker 1: opened an account at the Drake's Bank and deposited the
Speaker 1: box a few months before he was arrested. It was
Speaker 1: her husband's property, then, I exclaimed, slightly relieved, It contains
Speaker 1: the proceeds of a very ingenious robbery in Hatton Garden.
Speaker 1: He was known to have hidden a good bit away somewhere,
Speaker 1: but he kept his mouth shut and the police were nonplussed.
Speaker 1: So was his clever little wife, whose ingenuity and pluck
Speaker 1: I can't help admiring. Didn't he tell her? I inquired?
Speaker 1: Interested in spite of my unenviable feelings, Yes, But she
Speaker 1: couldn't get it at all. It was lodged at the
Speaker 1: bank in the name of Williams for safety, and she
Speaker 1: dared not claim it. But she bided her time, and
Speaker 1: at length she heard of the death of mister John
Speaker 1: Williams at Gateshead, which showed her husband's prudence in having
Speaker 1: adopted a common name. Of course, this was her opportunity.
Speaker 1: The death man, A complete stranger was made to represent
Speaker 1: the actual depositor, and Missus Williams pretended to be the widow.
Speaker 1: How did she get hold of the probate of another
Speaker 1: man's will? I asked, Probably bribe the clerk of the
Speaker 1: solicitor who had custody of it. You see, probates are
Speaker 1: no good when once an estate is wound up. This
Speaker 1: one was probably kicking about the office and wouldn't be missed.
Speaker 1: What of the real Missus Williams of Gateshead? She is
Speaker 1: dead and the advertisements said to have been inserted in
Speaker 1: the papers all a lie. That are no advertisements, My
Speaker 1: dear fellow, She made you serve her purpose, beautifully, laughed
Speaker 1: mister Booth. It was very unfriendly not to have given
Speaker 1: me a hint, I exclaimed, furiously indignant, My dear Perkins,
Speaker 1: didn't I warn you over and over again? Yes, but
Speaker 1: you didn't tell me what you knew, Because at first
Speaker 1: I knew absolutely nothing. I simply mistrusted her from some
Speaker 1: kind of instinct. But when you told me the woman's story,
Speaker 1: I went round to Scotland Yard, where I have a friend,
Speaker 1: said mister Booth, delicately, flicking the ash from his cigar
Speaker 1: with his little finger, and was shown some photographs. That
Speaker 1: same evening you told me you had been to the
Speaker 1: bank on her behalf. You may remember that I was
Speaker 1: annoyed with you even then. You might have been more explicit,
Speaker 1: I replied, angrily. Well, the fact is, my perkins, as
Speaker 1: you had already committed yourself, I couldn't resist the temptation
Speaker 1: of undertaking this little coup. You played into my hands,
Speaker 1: as it were. But there is no harm done, he added,
Speaker 1: laughing at my discomfiture. It is entirely a private venture
Speaker 1: of my own, carried out single handed. Why didn't she
Speaker 1: take the box away from the bank that day, I inquired,
Speaker 1: after a sulky silence, Because she discovered she was being watched,
Speaker 1: replied mister Booth, with imperturbable good humor. Do you remembered
Speaker 1: an old gray bearded man. Yes, she spotted him, and
Speaker 1: that sent her out of London, you followed, I suppose, yes.
Speaker 1: I knew she would contrive to get the box send
Speaker 1: down to her. I thought she would probably have it
Speaker 1: brought down one of the bank's messengers. I never thought
Speaker 1: she would have the cheek to Mister Booth checked himself abruptly,
Speaker 1: evidently out of consideration for my feelings. Then, after puffing
Speaker 1: at his cigar for a few moments, he added, in
Speaker 1: a conciliatory tone, you mustn't mind, my dear fellow. Only
Speaker 1: two people besides yourself will ever have even a suspicion
Speaker 1: of how it has all come about. I shan't tell,
Speaker 1: and you may be sure she won't. You forget the
Speaker 1: graybearded man, I groaned despondently. True, yes, I forgot him,
Speaker 1: said mister Boot, smiling, But I'll answer for his discretion
Speaker 1: as I would for my own. I wouldn't have it
Speaker 1: happen for a thousand pounds, I exclaimed in deep dejection.
Speaker 1: After we had traveled for twenty miles in complete silence,
Speaker 1: mister Booth looked at me for a few moments with
Speaker 1: a friendly concern. Then he leant forward and touched me
Speaker 1: lightly on the arm. My dear fellow, since it has happened,
Speaker 1: I can offer you with half the sum you mention
Speaker 1: as compensation. What do you mean The owner of the
Speaker 1: property in this box will no doubt be glad to
Speaker 1: pay me five hundred pounds as a reward. I am
Speaker 1: sufficiently repaid by the satisfaction of having accomplished a very
Speaker 1: neat job entirely off my own bat. As a matter
Speaker 1: of fact, I owe my success entirely to you. Thanks. No,
Speaker 1: I am no detective, I interrupted, more rudely. I dare
Speaker 1: say than I was conscious of. At least, let me
Speaker 1: offer you a little memento to hang on your watch chain,
Speaker 1: he said, wincing at the rebuff, but not the least
Speaker 1: resenting it. He produced, as he spoke, from his pocket
Speaker 1: a sixpenny piece and handed it to me. What is this,
Speaker 1: I asked, the identical coin which the fair widow bestowed
Speaker 1: upon the gray bearded man. He replied, How did you
Speaker 1: come by it? Then, I asked, But mister Booth only smiled,
Speaker 1: and I then recollected how he had boasted that he
Speaker 1: had managed his part of the business single handed. I
Speaker 1: have only to add that though my friend always declared
Speaker 1: that the widow did not entertain the least suspicion of
Speaker 1: his identity, she never came to Elbira House again, nor
Speaker 1: even wrote a line of remonstrance or inquiry to me.
Speaker 1: And as I have heard nothing whatever from that day
Speaker 1: to this, I conclude she made no complaint but accepted
Speaker 1: philosophically her bitter disappointment, probably considering herself lucky to have
Speaker 1: escaped worse consequences. The End of the Tin Box by
Speaker 1: Herbert Keane