The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1884-10-18 00:00:00

Int _MOM'S IMBRVED.]
AMBITION'S LADDER.
„By tke Atahor of" Atherstone Grange," "A Life for
a Love," 4-o.:;

CHAPTER XXl.—(Continue,c7).

Then was a little snuggery at the far end of the
hall, just under a broad flight of circular stairs,
leading to the principal rooms, ensconced in which
sat a stout, but comely little woman, in black silk
and cherry-coloured ribbons to her cap, who greeted
the inspector with a pleased smile of welcome as he
approached.
"Good day, Mrs. Rowley, good day," said the
officer, heartily. "And how's the world been tiling
you since we last met IF"
"Pretty well, thank you, Mr. Pouneeby, though
it's a long time since I've seen you here."
"Arid not on a very agreeable occasion then.
Eh, Mrs. Rowley?"
"No indeed, sir. Ah, that was a shocking
businegs. I hope, Mr. Pounceby," and the looked
anxiously at him, "nothing of the same sort has
brought you now F"
"No, no, don't be afraid. T came down on duty,
certainly, but the affair that I had in hand is all
settled, and I shall be off to town again by the last
train without turning the 'Albion' upside down, I
hope."

Ah ! I'm glad of that," Mrs. Rowley observed,
with a relieved look. "Such things are so bad for
us. Anyhow, Pm very pleased to see you and
looking so well."
"Thank you, Mrs. Rowley, thank you. I'm
flourishing, thank goodness, only rather peckish.
But I daresay you can give me a chop and a morsel
of stilton."

Yes, and a bottle of as good Burgundy as you
ever drank, to wash them down, sir, if you don't
mind taking your snack in here."
And she opened the door of her sanctum with an
inviting gesture, which Mr. Pounceby responded to
with alacrity.
"I shall enjoy it all the more in your company,
Mrs. Rowley," he answered, gallantly taking off
his hat as he entered the sacred precincts, where,
comfortably seated in a corner of the cosy sofa, he
discussed "just a thimbleful" of sherry and bitters
forced upon him by the buxom hostess.
"It will give you an appetite, Mr. Pannceby,"
sheisaid. "And you shan't be kept waiting long. I
promise you."
Mrs. Rowley was as good as her word, and very
soon the inspector's wants were satisfied, after which
his entertainer insisted upon his acceptance of a
cigar to which her own fair fingers held the light
while he slowly puffed it into working order, Fi,nd
then the two fell into conversation of so interesting
a nature with reference to bygone days—(for their
acquaintance dated back to a time when Lizzie
Rance, as she then was, had been only a barmaid in
the house which she now governed as the widow of
its late master, and in that time Tom Pounceby had
entertained a sneaking regard for pretty Lizzie,
which only remained unexpressed because of its
subordinate position)—that the inspector took no
note ok how the hours were flying till a cursory
glance at the clock warned him that he must be
going; and rather regretfully—for old sentiments,
by no means discouraged by the widow's manner,
were beginning to revive within him—he rose to
take his leave.

Not, however, without so much having passed
between them as to warrant Mr. Pounceby in the
mental resolve to revisit Southampton at no distant
date, and perhaps—who knew—
But his thoughts went no further than this for
the present—though what they pointed to will not
be very difficult to guess—for the swinging to of
the hall door, and quick, firm tread crossing the
stone passage caused Mr. Pounceby to release with
some little haste the plump hand that lingered in
his, and with another " good-bye " turned to go.
Suddenly he paused, looked straight at the person
whose footseps had disturbed him.

A tall, rather sunburnt man, of good, almost dis-
tinguished appearance. Clean-shaved about the
jaws and chin, but with a heavy moustache of the
"plunger" pattern. Dressed quietly, but well, ho
might have passed muster as a gentleman but for
a nameless something that could hardly be called a
swagger, and yet was too pronounced to bemistaken
for the.quiet self-confidence of one whose position in
the world was quite assured.
Theamme person, indeed, who had puzzled Doctor
Sampson upon the quay that afternoon and now,
for a moment, produced the same effectupon In-
spector Pounceby.
Only for one moment, though.
He was surprised, as much as it was in his not
easily disconcerted natu.e to be, but allowed no
sign o his astonishment to show itself as ho stepped
forward and deliberately confronted the stranger,
who stepped and stared at him haughtily.
"Will you allow me to pass, if you please?" he
said, after a,momentary pause. "Unless you have
any business with me."

Well, it's not exactly business, you see," replied
the officer, a half smile curling the corners of his
lips. "I only wanted to say, How d'ye do ?"
"I'm very much obliged for the enquiry, I'm
sure," coolly answered the other, "but you must
mistake me for some other person."
"I don't think- so."

The stranger shrugged his shoulders carelessly.
"Perhaps when I inform you that I have only
this day landed from Australia, where I have lived
all my life, you will be convinced of the error," he
said, quietly.
"Really !" and Inspector Pounceby drew back
with an air of disappointment, which, if not real,
was admirably assumed. 'l'm sure I beg your
Pardon; but it is wonderful what strange likenesses
there are in the world. The fact is that you remind
me so strongty-"
"It's of no consequence," said the stranger,
cutting him short with scant ceremony. "You see
you are mistaken."

- And stepping up to the little bar he enquired
whether there were any letters for him.
"I expected to find some waiting, though I have
only arrived to day," he explained.
"Number 30, I think. ir F" said Mrs. Rowley,
looking in the letter rack.
es yees
"Clarence Woodville, Esq. Are they for you ?"
"That is my name. Thank you."
And taking the letters the landlady handed over
to him Mr. Woodville went upstairs passing the
inspector, who looked after him with rather a queer
expression on his face.
" Olarence oodville, Esq. ! Not a bad travelling
name," he muttered, and then aloud, "Is anybody
with that man, Mrs. Rowley ?"
"Yes," answered that lady, having first turned
over the leaves of a ledger in which the nFiT4 of
visitors were entered. "A Mrs. pespard, his sister,
a widow, I think. At least she's in weeds."
"Ah ! Do you happen to know what he is ?"
"You're very curious, Mr. Pounceby," laughed
the landlady. -"
But I can tell you that, too. Only
by accident, though. There was a lot of rubbish
brought downstairs out of one of his trunks, and
amongst it we found this, which will give you the
information you want."
"This," was a play-bill of the Theatre Royal,
Melbourne, in which was announced the fact that
the "EMINENT TRAGEDIAN," Mr. Clarence Wood-
ville, would make his last appearance at that place
of amusement previous to his departure for England,
where he was eng,a4red for a round of his principal
parts at all the leading Metropolitan and provincial
theatres.

All these particulars Mr. rounceby read with
much interest, and returned the bill to the land-
lady.
"Thanks," he said. "I'm quite satisfied."
"You don't know anything about him, do you,
Mr. Pounceby P" she asked, doubtfully. "lie
seems quite the gentleman."
"c*. no! I never heard Mr. Woodville's name
in my life, so how should I know anything con-
cerning him!'

" C7l n't tell, of course, but you seem—l heard you
talking to him. Do you suspect--"
"I never suspect, Mrs. Rowley. I always linow
either all or nothing," calmly replied the officer.
"It's the best way in my profession. And now, I
must be off, or I 611.111 lose my train. , Once more,
good-night. I daresay I shall see you again before
long."
And with this parting hint of his intentions.
which Mrs. Rowley perfectly understood and did
not consider it worth while to throw cold water
Upon, Inspector Pouncebv buttoned up his coat and
geparted.

" Well, coincidences is rum things, after all." he
mused as he went along. "Who'd have thought of
lum turning up at such a time? However, there's
no need to trouble my head about the matter just
at present. A celebrated tragedian' won't be very
difficult to find, I fancy, -whenever he may Le
wanted; but that ain't likely to be just yet, though
I daresay I shall have to hunt him up again one of
these days. My eye! what an air he put on, to
be sure! And pretending not to know me, too,
that ain't changed half nor a quarter like him. But
lie did it capital, no doubt of that. It's a pity.
though, I didn't meet him a day earlier. That
young fellow might have been saved a long journey
for nothing. But it's too late to stop him now, at
all events.",