They all went to the Beccles Station, and from thence to the Beccles post office,--so that Beccles soon knew as much about it as Bungay. At the railway station Ruby was distinctly remembered. She had taken a second-class ticket by the morning train for London, and had gone off without any appearance of secrecy. She had been decently dressed, with a hat and cloak, and her luggage had been such as she might have been expected to carry, had all her friends known that she was going. So much was made clear at the railway station, but nothing more could be learned there. Then a message was sent by telegraph to the station in London, and they all waited, loitering about the post office, for a reply. One of the porters in London remembered seeing such a girl as was described, but the man who was supposed to have carried her box for her to a cab had gone away for the day. It was believed that she had left the station in a four-wheel cab. "I'll be arter her. I'll be arter her at once," said John Crumb. But there was no train till night, and Roger Carbury was doubtful whether his going would do any good. It was evidently fixed on Crumb's mind that the first step towards finding Ruby would be the breaking of every bone in the body of Sir Felix Carbury. Now it was not at all apparent to the squire that his cousin had had anything to do with this affair. It had been made quite clear to him that the old man had quarrelled with his granddaughter and had threatened to turn her out of his house, not because she had misbehaved with Sir Felix, but on account of her refusing to marry John Crumb. John Crumb had gone over to the farm expecting to arrange it all, and up to that time there had been no fear about Felix Carbury. Nor was it possible that there should have been communication between Ruby and Felix since the quarrel at the farm. Even if the old man were right in supposing that Ruby and the baronet had been acquainted,--and such acquaintance could not but be prejudicial to the girl,--not on that account would the baronet be responsible for her abduction. John Crumb was thirsting for blood and was not very capable in his present mood of arguing the matter out coolly, and Roger, little as he loved his cousin, was not desirous that all Suffolk should know that Sir Felix Carbury had been thrashed within an inch of his life by John Crumb of Bungay. "I'll tell you what I'll do," said he, putting his hand kindly on the old man's shoulder. "I'll go up myself by the first train to-morrow. I can trace her better than Mr. Crumb can do, and you will both trust me."

They all went to the Beccles Station, where Ruby was distinctly remembered. She had taken a second-class ticket on the train for London, and had gone off without any appearance of secrecy. She had been wearing a hat and cloak, and had some luggage; but nothing more could be learned.
Then they went to the post office to send a message by telegraph to the station in London, and waited for a reply. One of the porters in London remembered seeing such a girl, but the man who had carried her box to a cab had gone away for the day.
"I'll be arter her at once," said John Crumb. But there was no train till night, and Roger Carbury doubted whether his going would do any good. Crumb evidently felt that the first step towards finding Ruby would be the breaking of every bone in Sir Felix Carbury's body.
Now it was not clear to the squire that his cousin had anything to do with this affair. The old man had quarrelled with his granddaughter not because she had misbehaved with Sir Felix, but because she had refused to marry John Crumb. When John Crumb had gone over to the farm to arrange it all, there had been no fear about Felix Carbury. Nor could Ruby have communicated with Felix since the quarrel at the farm.
Even if the old man were right in supposing that Ruby and the baronet had met, the baronet had not abducted her. John Crumb was thirsting for blood, and Roger, little as he loved his cousin, did not wish all Suffolk to know that Sir Felix Carbury had been thrashed by John Crumb of Bungay.
"I'll tell you what I'll do," said he, putting his hand kindly on the old man's shoulder. "I'll go up myself by the first train tomorrow. I can trace her better than Mr. Crumb can do, and you will both trust me."
