that, I said a polite goodbye and ran toward the river for Lloyd’s Coffee House.
My business there with Mr. Alfred Humber was even more quickly executed. I found him seated at his usual table in the room, which even at that early hour was dense with tobacco smoke. His hands were folded over his protuberant middle, and his eyes were heavy-lidded in such a way that he seemed to be napping as a fat old tabby would do. George, his ever-present assistant, sat at the table with him; he had grown from the rag-tag errand boy I had first met to a sleek young underwriter who showed only disdain for lads like me. No matter; we ignored one another as I sat down and sought Mr. Humber’s attention.
“Well,” said he to me, rousing himself from his somnolent pose, “what will you with me today, young Mr. Proctor?”
“Information, Mr. Humber. Sir John suggested that I come to you in this matter of a great theft which occurred night before last. All manner of valuables were taken: paintings, silver settings, plates, even jewels. There is some question of where these goods might be disposed of. He suggested you might have some idea.”
“He did! I wonder how he might have come by such a notion as that!” Then light did flicker in those sleepy eyes and a smile spread cross those hanging jowls. “But wait,” said he, “perhaps I do have an idea or two about that — something I discussed some time ago with Jack. Dear God, he does have a long memory.”
I leaned forward eagerly, wishing to miss none of what was to follow. Yet, there was nothing to miss.
“Yes, indeed,” said he, “but I fear you’ll have to wait. It will take a day or two at least to talk with everyone. And to be sure, I must talk to them all. Come tomorrow — or perhaps the day after would be better.”
I sighed. “Whatever you say, sir.” With which I rose, offered my thanks, and took my leave. Only then did I receive so much as a glance from George. I replied with a sneer.
And so I managed to return to Number 4 Bow Street, just in time to strap on the brace of pistols and take my place at the courtroom door as Sir John rapped upon the table and called his magistrate’s court to order. Again, what followed was more or less uneventful, and I praised God for that. The session did, however, go on a bit longer than the usual; by the end of it he was visibly depleted, his face pale with exhaustion. He waited until the last of the spectators had left. I shut the door on them and barred it, and then did I come forward to assist Mr. Marsden in bringing the magistrate to his feet. He rose easily enough and kept his feet solid beneath him, but when he walked toward the door and on to the stairs, he moved at a slow plodding pace. Joined there at the stairway by Mr. Fuller, we undertook to move him to the quarters up above in the same manner we had employed the day before: I moving ahead of Sir John, who trailed me with his hand on my shoulder; Mr. Marsden and Mr. Fuller brought up the rear, ready to catch him should he fall.
Thus we brought him as far as his bedroom, where we sat him upon his bed and helped him out of his coat. Kicking off his shoes, he threw his feet upon the bed and, in breeches and waistcoat, eased himself back upon the two pillows that I had prepared for him. I nodded at the two men who had helped bring him to his bed, and they backed silently out the door. There, a moment later, Annie appeared.
“Can I bring you something, Sir John?” she asked. “Anything at all?”
“Annie? Why yes, child. A nice, hot cup of tea would suit me well.”
“You’ll have it, sir, in no time at all.”
As she left, Sir John turned to where he knew me to be and asked for my help in getting out of his clothes and under the comforter. “And by all means, hang my things out of sight. I’ll not have another lecture from Mr. Donnelly on the harm I do myself by daring to venture out of bed.”
“Yes sir,” said I.
“And should he ask you — or
My business there with Mr. Alfred Humber was even more quickly executed. I found him seated at his usual table in the room, which even at that early hour was dense with tobacco smoke. His hands were folded over his protuberant middle, and his eyes were heavy-lidded in such a way that he seemed to be napping as a fat old tabby would do. George, his ever-present assistant, sat at the table with him; he had grown from the rag-tag errand boy I had first met to a sleek young underwriter who showed only disdain for lads like me. No matter; we ignored one another as I sat down and sought Mr. Humber’s attention.
“Well,” said he to me, rousing himself from his somnolent pose, “what will you with me today, young Mr. Proctor?”
“Information, Mr. Humber. Sir John suggested that I come to you in this matter of a great theft which occurred night before last. All manner of valuables were taken: paintings, silver settings, plates, even jewels. There is some question of where these goods might be disposed of. He suggested you might have some idea.”
“He did! I wonder how he might have come by such a notion as that!” Then light did flicker in those sleepy eyes and a smile spread cross those hanging jowls. “But wait,” said he, “perhaps I do have an idea or two about that — something I discussed some time ago with Jack. Dear God, he does have a long memory.”
I leaned forward eagerly, wishing to miss none of what was to follow. Yet, there was nothing to miss.
“Yes, indeed,” said he, “but I fear you’ll have to wait. It will take a day or two at least to talk with everyone. And to be sure, I must talk to them all. Come tomorrow — or perhaps the day after would be better.”
I sighed. “Whatever you say, sir.” With which I rose, offered my thanks, and took my leave. Only then did I receive so much as a glance from George. I replied with a sneer.
And so I managed to return to Number 4 Bow Street, just in time to strap on the brace of pistols and take my place at the courtroom door as Sir John rapped upon the table and called his magistrate’s court to order. Again, what followed was more or less uneventful, and I praised God for that. The session did, however, go on a bit longer than the usual; by the end of it he was visibly depleted, his face pale with exhaustion. He waited until the last of the spectators had left. I shut the door on them and barred it, and then did I come forward to assist Mr. Marsden in bringing the magistrate to his feet. He rose easily enough and kept his feet solid beneath him, but when he walked toward the door and on to the stairs, he moved at a slow plodding pace. Joined there at the stairway by Mr. Fuller, we undertook to move him to the quarters up above in the same manner we had employed the day before: I moving ahead of Sir John, who trailed me with his hand on my shoulder; Mr. Marsden and Mr. Fuller brought up the rear, ready to catch him should he fall.
Thus we brought him as far as his bedroom, where we sat him upon his bed and helped him out of his coat. Kicking off his shoes, he threw his feet upon the bed and, in breeches and waistcoat, eased himself back upon the two pillows that I had prepared for him. I nodded at the two men who had helped bring him to his bed, and they backed silently out the door. There, a moment later, Annie appeared.
“Can I bring you something, Sir John?” she asked. “Anything at all?”
“Annie? Why yes, child. A nice, hot cup of tea would suit me well.”
“You’ll have it, sir, in no time at all.”
As she left, Sir John turned to where he knew me to be and asked for my help in getting out of his clothes and under the comforter. “And by all means, hang my things out of sight. I’ll not have another lecture from Mr. Donnelly on the harm I do myself by daring to venture out of bed.”
“Yes sir,” said I.
“And should he ask you — or
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