As to Mr. Davager, I can tell you nothing more about him, except
what is derived from hearsay evidence, which is always
unsatisfactory evidence, even in a lawyer's mouth.
My inestimable boy, Tom, although twice kicked off by Sam the
pony, never lost hold of the bridle, and kept his man in sight
from first to last. He had nothing particular to report except
that on the way out to the Abbey Mr. Davager had stopped at the
public-house, had spoken a word or two to his friend of the night
before, and had handed him what looked like a bit of paper. This
was no doubt a clew to the thread that held the letter, to be
used in case of accidents. In every other respect Mr. D. had
ridden out and ridden in like an ordinary sightseer. Tom reported
him to me as having dismounted at the hotel about two. At
half-past I locked my office door, nailed a card under the
knocker with "not at home till to-morrow" written on it, and
retired to a friend's house a mile or so out of the town for the
rest of the day.
Mr. Davager, I have been since given to understand, left the
Gatliffe Arms that same night with his best clothes on his back,
and with all the valuable contents of his dressing-case in his
pockets. I am not in a condition to state whether he ever went
through the form of asking for his bill or not; but I can
positively testify that he never paid it, and that the effects
left in his bedroom did not pay it either.
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