A Perilous Secret

turn small; so many people whose acquaintance we make turn out to be acquaintances of our acquaintances. This concatenation of acquaintan

is, alas! the prosaic but true history of men and nations, he entered an office in Yorkshire, and there made friends with Colonel Clifford's son, Walter, who was secretly dabbling in trade and matrimony und

plenty of bitterness, but no scandal. Bartley stood on his rights, and kept their one child, little Mary. He was very fond of her, and as the mother saw he

fference in her condition! She had two nurses and every luxury. Dressed like a princess, and even when in bed s

hat Grace Hope began to cough and alarm her father, Mary Bart

for post-haste. He felt her pulse, and said there was some little fever, but no cause

proceeds immediately from the stomach; so he soothed the stomach with alkaline mucilages, and the sickness abated. But next day alarming symptoms accumulated, short breathing, inability to eat

g the cause and attacking it, and now he told them plainly he feared it was too l

this the London doctor would not allow. He even consulted him on the situation, now it wa

aughts nor caustic applications could hinder

possible except by baths of beef tea, and simil

d physicians, when the father of the poor man's child applied to the clerk Bolto

loaf of bread he bought on the road with Bolton's

are of furniture, but my lady had found a wooden stool that could be mounted upon and tumbled off, and she had d

s afraid something or other

, wetted it, and bound it lightly and deftly round her wrist, and poured consolation into her ear. But soon she interru

e again, the

d a bark, creeping down the river toward the sea,

in that matter. Promise a little child the moon, and show him the ladder to be used

deceive her as some thoughtless parents do, out of fun, th

inted at that, but inqui

king people can not starve, and, mark my words, darling," said he-she pricked

as well as his words, and nodded her pretty head

milk, and afterward laid her on the b

dearly,"

go to sleep like a good girl, and not

I will,"

an excellent condition for keeping

, but full of life after her meal, and prayed to Him who loved litt

alf, which elapsed between Hope's first and second visi

usual, only in a hurried and bitter way unusual to him. He sent out his clerk Bolton with some bills, and told him sharply not to re

his head down, the very picture of a fait

t was caused by his owing ￡100 in the ring, and not knowing how to get it. To be sure, he could rob Mr. Bartley. He had done it again and again by false accounts, and even by abstraction of coin, f

ley come to him; to be sure, he came softly, because of the other

the shoulder is a sensitive part in conscious rogues. Anyway, Monckton started violently,

oyer, gravely, "I have ma

began t

he balances, and the er

ng what to say, he faltered, and at l

ht I went through all the books, and now I am sure. Whoever the

he should affect indignation and sympathy, and pretend to court inquiry

these words fell une

u must

t in a manner that is common among thieves,

the sly rogue, demurel

t h

not satisfied with speaking under his breath, drew th

re's this clerk Bolton: I know nothing about him

ong breath of relief. For all that, he was glad wh

it in the lobby, and scuttled into the street with a rapidity that contrasted drolly enough with the

ly marched into the middle of the off

uld hardly bel

fford!" said

rprised to

m. May I ask w

ll quarrels and square

th less asperity. He added, with a glance a

nd asked Monckton to ret

as a dart, delivered himself of certain short sentences, each of which seemed to be

ur injured wif

y sudden. I am ver

word "Humbug," and continu

de me promise to give yo

ying by Bartley, released, and drawn

rust for the benefit of her

dear

people do when they say "Gammon," b

money lapses to your nephew, my son, Walter Clifford. He is a scapegrace, and has run away from me; but I

bowed

en, interrupting himself for a moment, turned away to Bartley's private table, and

a minute, yet a most expressive panto

indeed, she would have rushed in but for the stranger. She was very pale, and thre

er, drove her out by a frenzied movement of both hands, though he did not touch her, and spread

him with the document he had selected

o him, and said it wa

olonel Clifford expell

forget our past quarrels, and

ittle office before he moved; then marched out in about seven steps, a

nd ice at his heart, went to his child's room. The nurse met him, crying, a

he breath hovering on his child's lips, and

, and the rich man

ere, and let no one enter the room; then he staggered back to his office, and flung himself down at his ta

ss the table; the head rested on

e father of the poor man's child in mortal danger from privation and hereditary consumption. That haggard f