He must at least test its truthfulness by walking through the streets and inquiring further.

It would be idle to travel on until this clew had been cleared up.
And so Robbie spent almost the whole day in what proved to be a fruitless search.

It was apparent that if Sim had been in Winander he had left it on Sunday.

Robbie reflected with vexation that it was now the evening of Monday, and that he was farther behind the man of whom he was in pursuit than he had been at starting from Wythburn.
In no very amiable mood Robbie set out afresh just as darkness was coming on, and followed the road as far as the village of Staveley.
Here there was nothing more hopeful to do at a late hour on Monday night than to seek for a bed and sleep.

On Tuesday morning Robbie lost no time in making inquiries, but he wasted several hours in ascertaining particulars that were at all reliable and satisfactory.
No one appeared to have seen such a man as Sim, either to-day, yesterday, or on Sunday.
Robbie was perplexed.