"Mr. Rugg? Why, it is the man who just left the office."
"To Liverpool, of course. Can I sell you a ticket?"
"If you go, you will find it to your advantage to go by our line."
"I'll go by your line, if I go at all," said Tony. "I wonder whether he'd be so polite if he knew I had but three dollars and a quarter in my pocket?" said our hero to himself.
Then he began to wonder how it happened that Rudolph was going. First, it was a mystery where he could have obtained the money necessary for the purchase of a ticket. Next, what could be his reason for leaving America.
"Probably he has picked somebody's pocket," thought Tony.
That disposed of the difficulty, but, as we know, Tony was mistaken. It was money that he had received for a worse deed, but Tony never thought of connecting the state of Rudolph's purse with the attempt that had been made upon his own life.
When Tony came to think of it he felt glad that Rudolph was going abroad. He felt that his own life would be safer with an ocean flowing between him and the man who latterly had exhibited such an intense hatred for him. As to his motive, why perhaps he thought that he would be safer in London than in New York.
Tony bethought himself of securing a temporary home. He was not a stranger in New York, and knew exactly where to go. There was a house not far from Greenwich street, where he had lodged more than once before, and where he was known. It was far from a fashionable place, but the charge was small, and that was a necessary consideration with Tony.
He rang the bell, and the proprietor, a hard-favored woman of fifty, came to open it.
"How do you do, Mrs. Blodgett?" said Tony.
"Why, it's Tony," said the woman, not unkindly. "Where have you been this long time?"
"No. He was no relation of mine," said Tony, hastily. "We used to go together, that is all."
"I don't know exactly. We had a falling out, and we've parted."
"Have you got any cheap room to let, Mrs. Blodgett?"
"I've got a room in the attic. It's small, but if it'll suit you, you can have it for a dollar a week."
"It's just the thing," said Tony, in a tone of satisfaction. "Can I go right up?"
"Yes, if you want to. I generally want a week's pay in advance, but you've been here before----"