ssess. He would also persuade Mrs. Crane to
accompany him to the village and aid in the requisite investigations;
entertaining a tacit but instinctive belief in the superiority of her
acuteness. "Set a female to catch a female," quoth Mr. Rugge.

On the day and in the place thus fixed the three hunters opened their
chase. They threw off at the Cobbler's stall. They soon caught the same
scent which had been followed by the lawyer's clerk. They arrived at
Mrs. Saunders's; there the two men would have been at fault like their
predecessor. But the female was more astute. To drop the metaphor Mrs.
Saunders could not stand the sharp cross-examination of one of her own
sex. "That woman deceives us," said Mrs. Crane on leaving the house."
They have not gone to London. What could they do there? Any man with a
few stage juggling tricks can get on in country villages but would be
lost in cities. Perhaps, as it seems he has got a dog,--we have found
out that from Mrs. Saunders,--he will make use of it for an itinerant
puppet-show."

"Punch!" said Mr. Rugge; "not a doubt of it."

"In that case," observed Mrs. Crane, "they are probably not far off. Let
us print handbills, offering a reward for their clew, and luring the old
man himself by an assurance that the inquiry is made in order that he
may learn of something to his advantage."

In the course of the evening the handbills were printed. The next day
they were posted up on the walls, not only of that village, but on those
of the small towns and hamlets for some miles round. The handbills ran
invitingly thus, "If William Waife, who left--on the 20th ult., will
apply at the Red Lion Inn at -------, for X. X., he will learn of
something greatly to his advantage. A reward of L5 will be given to any
one who will furnish information where the said William Waife and the
little girl who accompanies him may be found. The said William Waife is
about sixty years of age, of middle stature, strongly built, has lost
one eye, and is lame of one leg. The little girl, called Sophy, is
twelve years old, but looks younger; has blue eyes and light brown hair.
They had with them a white French poodle dog. This bill is printed by
the friends of the missing party." The next day passed; no information:
but on the day following, a young gentleman of good mien, dressed in
black, rode into the town, stopped at the Red Lion Inn, and asked to
see X. X. The two men were out on their researches; Mrs. Crane s