She moaned and croaked over
sailors, and seaport towns, and stormy weather, and sleepless
nights, and trousers all over tar and pitch, long after Job had left
off attending to her, and was only trying to hearken to every step
and every voice in the street.
At last Charley came in, but he came alone.
"Yon Mary Barton has getten into some scrape or another," said he,
addressing himself to Job. "She's not to be heard of at any of the
piers; and Bourne says it were a boat from the Cheshire side as she
went aboard of. So there's no hearing of her till to-morrow
morning."
"To-morrow morning she'll have to be in court at nine o'clock, to
bear witness on a trial," said Job sorrowfully.
"So she said; at least somewhat of the kind," said Charley, looking
desirous to hear more. But Job was silent.
He could not think of anything further that could be done; so he
rose up, and, thanking Mrs. Jones for the shelter she had given him,
he went out into the street; and there he stood still, to ponder
over probabilities and chances.
After some little time he slowly turned towards the lodging where he
had left Mrs.
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