Dorothy's Double. Volume 1 (of 3)Henty, G. A. (George Alfred)
History
Dorothy's Double. Volume 1 (of 3)
Henty, G. A. (George Alfred)
Great Britain -- History -- 19th century -- Fiction
Mr. Singleton thought for a minute. 'I did not notice anything at the
time. Of course it differed from your ordinary voice as I am accustomed
to hear it. You see she was crying, with a handkerchief up to her face,
and spoke low and hesitatingly. All of which changes the voice. I never
doubted it was you, you see, and as I had never heard you speak in low,
broken tones, sobbing and crying, any difference there may have been did
not strike me.'
'But altogether, Mr. Singleton, even now that I declare that I was not
the person who called upon you, you can, thinking it over, see nothing
that would lead you to doubt that it was myself.'
Mr. Singleton shook his head. 'No, Dorothy, I am sorry to say that I
cannot. Your word is quite sufficient for me, and I feel as certain that
this woman was an impostor as if she herself came forward to own it. The
likeness, however, in figure and in face was extraordinary, although I
admit that the veil made an alteration in the face. It always does. I
frequently pass ladies I know well, and if they have thick veils down do
not recognise them until they bow and smile. There was just that
difference between the face and yours as I usually see it. I can
remember now that as you, or rather this woman came into the room, I did
not for the first instant recognise her owing to the veil; it was but
momentarily, just the same hesitation I have so often felt before,
neither more nor less.'
'However, it was possible, Mr. Singleton, that the resemblance may not
have been absolutely perfect, and that had she not had a veil on you
would have seen it at once.'
'That is possible, quite possible,' Mr. Singleton assented.
'And now, Singleton, as an old friend, tell me what is to be done.
To-day we had all but settled that I should pay the value of those
diamonds to Gilliat. Dorothy has been anxious that I should fight the
case, but Levine, into whose hands I put myself, and Danvers, who would
have been one of our counsel, were both so strongly of opinion that we
had no chance whatever of getting a verdict, and that it would greatly
damage Dorothy, that I persuaded her to let me pay. But, you see, this
affair of yours changes the position of affairs altogether. As she has
victimised you, so she may victimise others of my friends, as well as
other tradesmen, and it seems to me that the only way to put a stop to
that will be publicity.'
'I think, Hawtrey, that the first person to be consulted in the matter
is Lord Halliburn. You see this game may go on again in the future on
even a larger scale, for the Countess of Halliburn's orders would be
fulfilled without a moment's hesitation by any tradesman in London.'
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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