"'As a Christian, Dr. Smalley, I am bound to forgive those who injure me; as a man of common humanity, I could not revenge injuries on an insane convict.' "He coughed two or three times before he spoke, and walked away to the window where the speechifying continued. Then he held out his hand saying, cordially: "'Perhaps, Mr. Edmond, you will never be a rich man, but if I can judge of your actions by your treatment of this prisoner, I am sure you will be a very happy one.' "I then repeated Mrs. Tracy's request and asked him whether it would be safe to confide her husband to her care in case some quiet retreat could be provided. "'Perfectly so!' "'Could his discharge be obtained?' "'Without a doubt, if you and his other wards make such a request.' "I started to come away when he asked, 'Will you see him?' "I hesitated and then assented, following the physician through various departments of labor till we came to a shop where there was a forge. Monson P. had donned a blacksmith's leather apron, his sleeves were rolled up to his elbows,—his hair dishevelled and his beard unshorn. "He knew me at once, and with perfect 'sang froid,' began to talk about the lead mine. "He had evidently studied the subject, and for a few moments talked rationally. But with one of the sudden changes Dr. Smalley tells me are common with him, he began to chuckle, and then disclosed a plot for defrauding us and others upon which he evidently prided himself, laughing and patting my shoulder meanwhile." [Illustration] "'I'm a professor you know,' he whispered with a leer, 'and for fifteen years the parson never found me out,—thought me a saint,—almost ready for glory, ha! Ha! Ha! I'll cheat him again. I'll vote for an increase of his salary. I've done it before, or I'll give to the Sunday School, ha! Ha! Ha! I can afford it. I made a clear thousand out of my wards last week. Clever wasn't it?' looking in my face with an unmeaning laugh. 'I'm a professor, and that pays. I couldn't afford to be a possessor as the parson talks about. Could you now?' "I seized Dr. Smalley's arm and walked away, the insane man shouting after me: "'Come again! You look like a man I used to know. Come again!'" "Dreadful! Horrible!" cried Helen, hiding her face. "My next business was to see Quincy's attorney and through him to get his client's name to my petition for Tracy's release. "This was more difficult, but I at length accomplished it, after exhibiting the deed Mrs. Tracy had put into my hands. I then went to see a real estate agent to find a tenement suitable for my purpose. This morning he informed me that he had found a cottage fifteen miles from the city, at a very low rent on account of the difficulty of access from the cars.