He had not the heart to go.
But that night Wood heard Hayes pause at HIS door, before he went to
listen at Mrs. Catherine's. "What is the man thinking of?" said
Wood. "He is gathering his money together. Has he a hoard yonder
unknown to us all?"
Wood thought he would watch him. There was a closet between the two
rooms: Wood bored a hole in the panel, and peeped through. Hayes
had a brace of pistols, and four or five little bags before him on
the table. One of these he opened, and placed, one by one,
five-and-twenty guineas into it. Such a sum had been due that
day--Catherine spoke of it only in the morning; for the debtor's
name had by chance been mentioned in the conversation. Hayes
commonly kept but a few guineas in the house. For what was he
amassing all these? The next day, Wood asked for change for a
twenty-pound bill. Hayes said he had but three guineas. And, when
asked by Catherine where the money was that was paid the day before,
said that it was at the banker's. "The man is going to fly," said
Wood; "that is sure: if he does, I know him--he will leave his wife
without a shilling."
He watched him for several days regularly: two or three more bags
were added to the former number.
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