Tales and Novels — Volume 01: Moral TalesEdgeworth, Maria
General
Tales and Novels — Volume 01: Moral Tales
Edgeworth, Maria
Fiction
clerk, "surely you must have looked at it--you must have observed
these remarkable stains?" Pasgrave replied, that he did look at it, he
supposed; that he saw it was a ten-guinea note; it might be stained, it
might not be stained; he could not pretend to be certain about it. He
repeated his assurances that he was ignorant of business, and of every
thing in this world but dancing. "Pour la danse, je m'y connois--pour
les affaires, je n'en sais rien, moi." He, with his usual simplicity,
added, that if Mr. W---- would give him leave, he would go to the young
gentleman, his friend, and learn from him exactly the number of the note
which he had given him; that he was sure he could recollect his own note
immediately. Mackenzie, who thought that this was merely pretence, in
order to escape, told him that he could not be suffered to go out upon
his parole. "But," said Mr. W----, "tell us the name of this young
gentleman who has so much generosity, and who lives incognito. I don't
like gentlemen who live incognito. I think I had a young man here before
me, about two months ago, charged with breaking a confectioner's windows
in a riot, the night of the great illuminations--Hey? don't I remember
some such thing? And you, M. Pasgrave, if I mistake not, interested
yourself mightily about this young man, and told me and my daughters,
sir, that he was a young gentleman incognito. I begin to see through
this affair. Perhaps this is the same young gentleman from whom you
received the note. And pray what value did you give for it?" Pasgrave,
whose fear of betraying Forester now increased his confusion, stammered,
and first said the note was a present, but afterwards added, "I have
been giving de young person lessons in dancing for des six week."
"Well, then, we must summon this young person," said Mr. W----. "Tell us
his name, if you please," said Mackenzie; "I have some suspicion that
I know your gentleman incognito." "You need not trouble him," said the
magistrate; "I know the name already, and I know where the bird is to
be found: his name, if he has not changed it since he was last in this
room, is Forester." "Forester!" exclaimed Mackenzie; "I thought so! I
always thought how he would turn out. I wonder what his friends, the
Campbells, will have to say for him now!"
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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