Chapter 39

Two days later Fan returned to her apartments, and shortly after arriving
there received a letter from Captain Horton, giving her an account of
what he had been doing for her since their memorable meeting at Kingston.
He had gone to work in a very systematic way, enlisting the services of a
number of clergymen and other philanthropic workers at the East End to
make inquiries for him; and it would be strange, he concluded, if the
Chances escaped being discovered, unless they had quitted that part of
London.

A few days later, about the middle of August, came a second letter, which
made Fan's heart leap with joy. Captain Horton had found out that the
Chances were living at Mile End, but did not know their address yet. He
had come across a gentleman--a curate without a curacy, a kind of
Christian free-lance--who lived in that neighbourhood and knew the
persons sought for intimately, but declined to give their address or to
say anything about them; but he had consented to meet Miss Eden at
Captain Horton's office in the City and speak to her; and the meeting had
been arranged to take place at two o'clock on the following day. Fan took
care to be at the office punctually at two.

"Our friend has not yet arrived," said Captain Horton, after giving her a
chair in the office, "but we can look for him soon, I think, as he did
not seem like a person who would fail to keep an engagement. He is a very
good fellow, I have heard, but seemed rather to resent being questioned
about his mysterious friends, and was very reticent. Ah, here he is."

"Mr. Northcott!" exclaimed Fan, starting up with a face full of joy; for
it was he, looking older, and with a pale, care-worn face, which,
together with his somewhat rusty clerical coat and hat, seemed to show
that the world had not gone well with him since he had left Eyethorne.

"Miss Affleck--if I had only imagined that it was you! How glad I am to
meet you once more! How glad Mrs. Chance will be to hear from you," he
said, taking her hand.

"But I wish to see her, Mr. Northcott--I _must_ see her," said Fan;
and the curate at once offered to conduct her to her friend's home at
Mile End.

Leaving the office, they took a cab and set out for their destination;
but during the drive Fan had little chance of hearing any details
concerning her friend's life; for what with the noise of the streets and
the rattling of the cab, it was scarcely possible to hear a word; and
whenever there came a quieter interval the curate wished to hear how Fan
had passed her time, and why she had been addressed as Miss Eden.

At length they got to their journey's end, the cab, for some reason,
being dismissed at some distance from