Chapter 12 Our inquiries that limerage were patiently

pursued in all directions, and among all sorts and conditions of people, but nothing came

of them.

Three of the villagers did certainly assure us that they had seen the woman, but as they

were quite unable to describe her, and quite incapable of agreeing about the exact direction

in which she was proceeding when they last saw her, these three bright exceptions to the

general rule of total ignorance afforded no more real assistance to us than the mass

of their unhelpful and unobservant neighbors.

The course of our useless investigations brought us, in time, to the end of the village at

which the schools established by Mrs. Fairly were situated.

As we passed the side of the building appropriated to the use of the boys, I suggested the

propriety of making a last inquiry of the schoolmaster, whom we might presume to be, in virtue

of his office, the most intelligent man in the place.

I am afraid the schoolmaster must have been occupied with his scholars, said Ms. Helkham,

just at the time when the woman passed through the village and returned again.

However, we can but try.

We entered the playground enclosure, and walked by the school-room window to get round to

the door which was situated at the back of the building.

I stopped for a moment at the window and looked in.

The schoolmaster was sitting at his high desk with his back to me, apparently, harranging

the pupils, who were all gathered together in front of him, with one exception.

The one exception was a sturdy, white-headed boy, standing apart from all the rest on

...