My throat tightened at the thought of it. Moved on? No. Surely he was still here. He would not have gone to another city entirely without telling me. Even Henry had had the decency to tell me, if nothing else. “Do you perhaps have the address he was at when last he wrote you?”

“I do, but I doubt it will help. There was another friend looking for him, now that I think about it. A young man, handsome, with a round, friendly face and startlingly blue eyes.”

“Henry!” I said, too quickly and with far too much force. I blushed and smiled to cover my emotion, toying with my gloves. “Our friend Henry came to study here, as well. Do you know where else he went to look?”

Professor Krempe shook his head with genuine remorse. “I am sorry. I had an address for Victor that your Henry had already visited and found vacant. I do not know where he went next in his search. I see so many young men. I remember Henry only because he was so friendly, and I remember Victor for his remarkable intensity.” The professor paused, scratching his pockmarked chin thoughtfully. “I think he did not like me. He seemed uncomfortable in my presence. I was keen to work with him, though.”

“I am certain he liked you! You are one of only two professors he wrote of to me. He is simply…bright. He has an unusual mind, and it can be hard for him when talking to new people.”

Professor Krempe nodded. “I hope he has done well, wherever he ended up. I have never seen questions such as his, and doubt I ever will again. He was on the path to either genius or lunacy.” Realizing he had gone too far—I was unable to hide the panic his words brought to the surface—he held up his hands and laughed. “I jest. My odds are on him having taken up a different line of study and simply not needing me anymore. Somewhere he is plaguing a history professor with questions about the dental-care habits of ancient Mesopotamia.”

I held out a card, writing a smile onto my face with as much elegant determination as I had written out my information. “If you do think of anything that might help us find him, or if he happens to contact you—”

“I will send word immediately. It was lovely to meet you, Miss Elizabeth. Miss Justine.” He paused, and his next sentence was so studied and casual I suspected he hoped I would not notice how desperate it was. “If you find him, please let him know I would like to see what he has been working on.” He smiled. “I am ever so curious about his studies.”

“I will.” I would not. This man had done nothing to help me.