Tales and Novels — Volume 01: Moral TalesEdgeworth, Maria
General
Tales and Novels — Volume 01: Moral Tales
Edgeworth, Maria
Fiction
He said he could not swear; but
to the best of his belief--en conscience--en honneur--foi d'honnête
homme--he was convinced he received it from Mr. Macpherson's foreman.
The foreman, who, from one step in villany, found himself hurried on to
another and another, now scrupled not to declare that he was ready to
take his oath that he delivered the note and change, just as his master
gave it to him, to M. Pasgrave. The magistrate turned to the paler,
conscientious, incapacitated dancing-master, and in a severe tone
said--"Appearances are strangely against you, M. Pasgrave. Here's a
young gentleman has lost a bank-note--it is stopped at the bank
of Scotland--it is traced home to you--you say you got it from Mr.
Macpherson or his foreman--his books are produced--the entry in them is
clearly against you; for it states that the note given to you in change
was one of Sir William Forbes's bank; and this which I hold now in my
hand is of the Bank of Scotland. Please now to tell how this note of
the Bank of Scotland, which has been proved to be the property of Mr.
Mackenzie, came into your possession? From whom did you receive it? or
how did you come by it? I am not surprised that you decline taking an
oath upon this occasion." "Ah, monsieur, ayez pitié de moi!" cried
the innocent, but terrified man, throwing himself upon one knee, in
an attitude, which, on the stage, would have produced a sublime
effect--"Ah, monsieur, ayez pitié de moi! I have no more dan de child
no sense in affairs." Mackenzie interrupted him with a brutal laugh. The
more humane banker's clerk was moved by the simplicity of this avowed
ignorance of business. He went up to the distracted dancer, and said,
"It is not to be expected that every body should understand business as
_we_ do, sir: if you are innocent, only give yourself time to recollect;
and though it's unfortunate that you never keep any regular accounts,
maybe we shall be able to make out this affair of the entry. If Mr.
W---- will give me leave to take this pen and ink, and if you will try
to recollect all the persons from whom you have received money lately--"
"Ah, mon Dieu! dat is impossible." Then he began to name the quarterly
and half-yearly payments that he had received from his various pupils.
"Did any of them lately give you a ten-guinea note?" "Ah, oui, je
me rappelle--un jeune monsieur--un certain monsieur, qui ne veut pas
que--qui est là incognito--who I would not betray for the world; for he
has behave wid de most parfaite générosité to me." "But did he give
you a ten-guinea bank-note? that is all we want to know," said the
magistrate. "Mais--oui--yes." "About what time?" said the clerk. It was
about the beginning of October: and this was so near the time when he
settled accounts with Mr. Macpherson, the tailor, that he even himself
began to believe it possible that he had mistaken one note for the
other. "When the young gentleman gave you the note," said the banker's
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