The Mission of Poubalov — page 102: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

98 LITIZKI BREAKS HIS APPOINTMENT, ‘‘] was going to the Old Colony Depot,’’ said Billings, huskily. ‘‘T see. Is it customary, Mr. Billings, for cabmen to leaye the curtains of their carriages closely drawn after they leave a funeral party?’’ ‘No, ’tain’t, not long, but you wouldn’t have me stop in front of the house to pull ’em up, would you?” ‘Certainly not. You did quite right, doubtless. When did you first see the coupé?’’ At the corner of Beacon. It turned into Park Street just ahead of me.”’ ‘‘Where did Mr. Strobel tell you to take him?”’ ‘‘To Dr. Merrill’s church, Parker Avenue, Roxbury.” Billings didn’t know it, but his examiner came yery near to breaking down at this point. There was nothing as yet to show that the driver was not telling the truth, although Clara had prepared a trap for him that she in- tended to spring a little later, and the mention of the church where she was to be married brought up such a flood of emotions that it seemed as if she would choke. Then, too, whether Billings were practicing deceit or not, it was certain that for this moment at least she was fol- lowing her lover’s journey correctly, and she had arrived at that critical point where the change in his intentions, or in his power to act, occurred. So, it was in a yery faint voice that she told Billings to go on. He immedi- ately resumed his parrot-like narration: ‘‘He seemed to be in a hurry, for hespoke quick. I closed the door on him, and got into my seat as fast as I could and whipped up. 1 wanted to get along myself, you see, cause it was quite a long drive, and I had to get back to the depot.”’ This last sentence sounded like a fresh thought inter- jected on the spur of the moment, for Billings spoke it slower than the rest, and glanced inquiringly at Clara, as if to see how she took it. She noticed the difference, but. simply nodded, and Billings went on. ‘Nothing happened till we got to Ellios:fitirenn: <S/com')