“To be popular with the people, is truly an honor,” interrupts the
lady, facetiously.
“Thank you-O, thank you, for the compliment,” pursues our hero. “Now,
as to this unfortunate person you seek, knowing it was of little use to
search for her in our institutions of charity-one never can find out
anything about the wretches who get into them-I put the matter into the
hands of one of our day-police-a plaguey sharp fellow-and he set about
scenting her out. I gave him a large sum, and promised him more if
successful. Here, then, after a long and tedious search-I have no doubt
the fellow earned his money-is what he got from New York, this
morning.” The Hon. Mr. Snivel, fixing his eye steadily upon her, hands
her a letter which reads thus:
“NEW YORK, Dec. 14th, 18-.
“Last night, while making search after a habitant of the Points, a odd
old chip what has wandered about here for some years, some think he has
bin a better sort of man once, I struck across the woman you want. She
is somewhere tucked away in a Cow Bay garret, and is awful crazy; I’ll
keep me eye out till somethin’ further. If her friends wants to give
her a lift out of this place, they’d better come and see me at once.
“Yours, as ever,
“M. FITZGERALD.”
Mr. Snivel ogles Madame Montford over the page of a book he affects to
read. “Guilt! deep and strong,” he says within himself, as Madame, with
flushed countenance and trembling hand, ponders and ponders over the
paper. Then her emotions quicken, her eyes exchange glances with Mr.
Snivel, and she whispers, with a sigh, “found-at last! And yet how
foolish of me to give way to my feelings? The affair, at best, is none
of mine.” Mr. Snivel bows, and curls his Saxon mustache. “To do good
for others is the natural quality of a generous nature.”
Madame, somewhat relieved by this condescension of the Hon. gentleman,
says, in reply, “I am curious at solving family affairs.”
“And I!” says our hero, with refreshing coolness—“always ready to do a
bit of a good turn.”
Madame pauses, as if in doubt whether to proceed or qualify what she
has already said. “A relative, whose happiness I make my own,” she
resumes, and again pauses, while the words tremble upon her lips. She
hears the words knelling in her ears: “A guilty conscience needs no
betrayer.”
“You have,” pursues our hero, “a certain clue; and of that I may
congratulate you.”
Madame says she will prepare at once to return to her home in New York,
and-and here again the words hang upon her lips. She was going to say,
her future proceedings would be governed by the paper she holds so
nervously in her fingers.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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