A week passed. Moody (longing to see Isabel) still waited in vain for
news from France. He had just decided to delay his visit to South Morden
no longer, when the errand-boy employed by Sharon brought him this
message: "The old 'un's at home, and waitin' to see yer."
CHAPTER XVIII.
SHARON'S news was not of an encouraging character. He had met with
serious difficulties, and had spent the last farthing of Moody's money
in attempting to overcome them.
One discovery of importance he had certainly made. A horse withdrawn
from the sale was the only horse that had met with Hardyman's approval.
He had secured the animal at the high reserved price of twelve thousand
francs--being four hundred and eighty pounds in English money; and he
had paid with an English bank-note. The seller (a French horse-dealer
resident in Brussels) had returned to Belgium immediately on completing
the negotiations. Sharon had ascertained his address, and had written to
him at Brussels, inclosing the number of the lost banknote. In two days
he had received an answer, informing him that the horse-dealer had been
called to England by the illness of a relative, and that he had hitherto
failed to send any address to which his letters could be forwarded.
Hearing this, and having exhausted his funds, Sharon had returned to
London. It now rested with Moody to decide whether the course of the
inquiry should follow the horse-dealer next. Here was the cash account,
showing how the money had been spent.
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