General Well'ngone In Love Read Online Free PDF Page B

mantelpiece, where a bell was
sitting. He gave the bell a vigorous ring and a child answered the
call. “Tell the General that Mr. Melamed is in the drawing room and
wishes to speak with him.”
    When the General entered, the Earl explained
the situation. The Earl then added, “Where did the two of you part
company, General? I hope it was not on Duke’s Street.”
    “ Of course not,” replied
General Well’ngone. “I gave you my word, Earl, didn’t
I?”
    “ Then when did you last
see him?”
    “ At the Frost Fair. He
said he had to be getting home. So after we were done writing in
the book ...”
    “ What book?” asked Mr.
Melamed.
    The General’s cheeks turned red.
    “ Was Miss Sarah Krinkle at
the Fair?” asked the Earl, looking none too pleased.
    “ No!”
    “ What does Miss Krinkle
have to do with the two of you, if I may ask?” Mr. Melamed was also
looking none too pleased at the mention of the young lady’s name in
such disreputable surroundings.
    “ General Well’ngone thinks
he is in love with Miss Krinkle,” said the Earl, with a
smirk.
    “ I never said
that!”
    “ What exactly are your
feelings towards Miss Krinkle, then?” asked Mr. Melamed. He had
never thought of General Well’ngone in terms other than being a
thief, and he was now pleasantly surprised to find out that the
youngster might possess finer sentiments—sentiments that possibly
could be molded into a better sort of life.
    “ I can’t say that I have
feelings, Mr. Melamed, at least not any I can put a name to. I just
think that if I were to ever marry, I should think that a young
lady such as Miss Krinkle would do very well.”
    “ I see. But what does Miss
Krinkle have to do with this book you mentioned?”
    “ I thought that since she
could not see the Fair herself, she might like something from the
Fair as a remembrance. The booksellers were selling these little
empty books that were made special for the Frost Fair, and so I
bought her one.”
    “ And what did you write it
in?”
    The General looked even more uncomfortable.
“Do I have to say?”
    “ If we can find the book,
it might lead us to Berel’s whereabouts.”
    “ It wasn’t much. Berel
isn’t much of a speller, and so I didn’t want to overtax
him.”
    “ Mr. Melamed is not
interested in the spelling capabilities of either you or Mr.
Krinkle,” said the Earl. “Just tell him what you had the boy
write.”
    “ I just told him to write
‘To Miss Krinkle, with my compliments.’”
    “ And then Berel wrote your
name?” asked Mr. Melamed.
    “ Not exactly. Berel and I
decided it would be best if it just said ‘A Friend.’ And then Berel
said he had to leave. I spotted my boys standing by one of the toy
stalls and I went over to them.”
    “ You did not see Berel
speaking to anyone else?”
    “ Not after I left
him.”
    “ So you see, Mr. Melamed,”
said the Earl, “we have not kidnapped the boy.”
    The General turned first to the Earl, with a
look of astonishment on his face, and then he turned to Mr.
Melamed. “Does Miss Krinkle think that? Is that what she told
you?”
    “ Apparently, the young
lady does not think as highly of you, General, as you do of her,”
said the Earl, with more than a dash of glee.
    “ Miss Krinkle is worried
about her brother,” said Mr. Melamed. “If the boy is not here,
would you be willing to help me find him?”
    This last question was addressed to the
Earl, who said, “London is a big city. And, as you said, it is a
cold night.”
    Mr. Melamed placed several coins on the
table. “Buy some more fuel. I shall have some soup sent over, and
whatever else I can find. Let me know as soon as you find the
boy.”
    “ If we find him,” said the
Earl, scooping up the coins.
    “ We’ll find him,” said the
General. “Tell Miss Krinkle that ...” The General glanced in the
direction of the Earl of Gravel Lane, who was once again looking at
him with raised eyebrows. “We will find her