And in the end he appealed confidently to his listener.
"And now I put it up to you, mister--straight!" concluded Melky. "Could I
ha' done better for him than to give him the advice I did? Wasn't it best
for him to go where he could get some evidence on his own behalf, than to
run the risk of being arrested, and put where he couldn't do nothing for
himself? What d'you say, now, Mr. Purdie?"
"Yes," agreed Purdie, after a moment's further thought. "I think you did
well. He'll no doubt be able to find some old friends in Peebles who can
surely remember that his mother did possess those two rings. But you must
bear this in mind--the police, you say, have shadowed him since yesterday
afternoon. Well, when they find he's flown, they'll take that as a strong
presumptive evidence of guilt. They'll say he's flying from justice!"
"Don't matter, mister, if Lauriston comes back with proof of his
innocence," replied Melky.
"Yes, but they'll not wait for that," said Purdie. "They'll set the hue-
and-cry on to him--at once. He's not the sort to be easily mistaken or
overlooked--unless he's changed a lot this late year or two--he was always
a good-looking lad.
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