WYLDER'S HAJVD.
151
After dinner he got into a cab, and drove to Mark
Wylder's club. Was he there ? — No. Had he been
there to-day? No. Or within the last week? No;
not for two months. He had left his address, and was in
the country. The address to which his letters were for-
warded was " The Brandon Arms, Gylingden."
So Captain Lake informed that functionary that his
friend had come up to town, and asked him again whether
he was quite certain that he had not called there or sent
for his letters. No; nothing of the sort. Then Cap-
tain Lake asked to see the billiard-marker, who was likely
to know something about him. But he knew nothing.
He certainly had not been at the "Lark's Nest," which
was kept by the marker's venerable parent, and was a fa-
vorite haunt of the gay Lieutenant.
Then our friend Stanley, having ruminated for a min-
ute, pencilled a little note to Mark, telling him that he
was staying at Muggeridge's Hotel, 7 Hanover Street,
Piccadilly, and wished most particularly to see him for a
few minutes; and this he left with the hall-porter, to 'give
him should he call.
Then Lake got into his cab again, having learned that
he had lodgings in St. James's Street when he did not
stay at the Club, and to these he drove. There he saw
Mrs. M'Intyre, a Caledonian lady, at this hour somewhat
mellow and talkative; but she could say nothing to the
purpose either. Mr. Wylder had not been there for nine
weeks and three days; and would owe her, on Saturday
next, twenty-five guineas. So here, too, he left a little
note to the same effect; and, reentering his cab, he drove
a long way, and past St. Paul's, and came at last to a
court, outside which he had to dismount from his vehicle,
entering the grimy quadrangle through a narrow passage.
He had been there that evening before, shortly after his