Maurice felt slightly offended, but thought better of it, and laughed
too.

"I shall find them, no fear," he answered; "but when? and where?"

Next morning he left Hunsdon, and went to London. The moment he was
really moving, his spirits rose, and his temper, which had been
considerably disturbed lately, recovered itself. He scarcely stopped at
all, till he found himself that afternoon at the door of the solicitor's
office, where he had some affairs to attend to.

He got out of his cab and to the lawyer's door, as if everything
depended on his own personal speed; but just as he went up the steps,
the door opened, and a clerk appeared, showing a gentleman out. Even in
the midst of Maurice's hurry, something familiar in the figure struck
him; he looked again--it was Percy. They recognized each other; at the
same moment, by a common impulse, they saluted each other ceremoniously
and passed on their different ways.

Maurice was expected, and he found Mr. Payne ready to receive him.
Instead, however, of plunging at once into business as, a minute ago, he
was prepared to do, he asked abruptly. "Is Mr. Percy a client of yours?"

"I can hardly say that," the lawyer answered, surprised by the question.

"I met him going out," Maurice went on.

Mr. Payne rubbed his hands.