Not to mince, matters, sir, he has escaped." The Doctor saw Mary's face quiver, but she bore up bravely, and listened.
"Escaped, has he ?" said Tom.

"And do they know anything about him ?" "Desborough, who told me this himself," said Burnside, "says no, that he is utterly puzzled.

He had made sure of the arch-rascal himself; but, with that remarkable faculty of saving his own skin which he has exhibited on more than one occasion, he has got off for the time, with one companion." "A companion; eh ?" "Yes," said Burnside, "whereby hangs a bit of romance, if I may profane the word in speaking of such men.

His companion is a young fellow, described as being more like a beautiful woman than a man, and bearing the most singular likeness in features to the great Captain Touan himself, who, as you have heard, is a handsome dog.

In short, there is very little doubt that they are father and son." Tom thought to himself, "Who on earth can this be?
What son can George Hawker have, and we not know of it ?" He turned to Burnside.
"What age is the young man you speak of ?" he asked.
"Twenty, or thereabouts, by all description," said the other.
Tom thought again: "This gets very strange.