who condescended to watch them, and to talk about
them. It was ascertained that Mrs. Roden usually went to church on
Sunday morning, but that her son never did so. It was known, too,
that a female friend called upon her regularly once a week; and it
was noted in the annals of Holloway that this female friend came
always at three o'clock on a Monday. Intelligent observers had become
aware that the return visit was made in the course of the week, but
not always made on one certain day;--from which circumstances various
surmises arose as to the means, whereabouts, and character of the
visitor. Mrs. Roden always went in a cab. The lady, whose name was
soon known to be Mrs. Vincent, came in a brougham, which for a time
was supposed to be her own peculiar property. The man who drove it
was so well arrayed as to hat, cravat, and coat, as to leave an
impression that he must be a private servant; but one feminine
observer, keener than others, saw the man on an unfortunate day
descend from his box at a public-house, and knew at once that the
trousers were the trousers of a hired driver from a livery-stable.
Nevertheless it was manifest that Mrs. Vincent was better to do
in the world than Mrs. Roden, because she could afford to hire a
would-be private carriage; and it was imagined also that she was a
lady accustomed to remain at home of an afternoon, probably with the
object of receiving visitors, because Mrs. Roden made her visits
indifferently on Thursday, Friday, or Saturday. It was suggested also
that Mrs. Vincent was no friend to the young clerk, because it was
well known that he was never there when the lady came, and it was
supposed that he never accompanied his mother on the return visits.
He had, indeed, on one occasion been seen to get out of the cab with
his mother at their own door, but it was strongly surmised that she
had then picked him up at the Post Office. His official engagements
might, indeed, have accounted for all this naturally; but the
ladies of Holloway were well aware that the humanity of the
Postmaster-General allowed a Saturday half-holiday to his otherwise
overworked officials, and they were sure that so good a son as George
Roden would occasionally have accompanied his mother, had there been
no especial reason against it. From this further surmises arose. Some
glance had fallen from the eye of the visitor lady, or perhaps some
chance word had been heard from her lips, which created an opinion
that sh