Hide and Seek

exclamations, and entreaties. She seemed quite unable to speak, after he was fairly gone; and only looked round i

use Mr. Blyth's odd behavior, which I see has startled and astonished you. But, however wildly he may talk, I assure you he means honorably and truthfully in all that h

re frightened than ever-"Proposal! Oh, sir! you don't mean t

to make her future prospects in life his own peculiar care, by adopting her as his daughter. This offer, though coming, as I am aware, from a perfect stranger, can hardly astonish you, I think, if you reflect on the unusually strong claims which the child has to the compassion and kindness of all her fellow-creatures. Other strangers, as you have to

Don't ask me to do that! Anything else to prove my gratitude for your kindness to us;

but, for her sake, I must again ask you to control your feelings. And, more than that, I must appeal to

t because I love her so, that I can't! Besides,

ou may answer to that, that I am a stranger, too; and I can only ask you, in return, frankly to accept my character and position as the best proofs I can offer you that I am not unworthy of your confidence. If you placed little Mary f

t you-so kind and good as you have been to us to-day-and a cl

er affliction, you would acknowledge that little Mary could appeal for an affectionate welcome to no kinder heart than Mrs. Blyth's. I assure you most seriously, that the only danger I fear for the child in my friend's house, is that she would be spoilt by excessive indu

Don't break my heart by

onorable to you and to himself, to defray your traveling expenses whenever you wish to see the child. He will always acknowledge your prior right to her affection and her duty. He will offer her every facility in his power for constantly corresponding with you; and if the life she leads in his house be, even in the slightest respect, distasteful to her, he pledg

ity by letting her go-but how can I, after all the long time she's been like my own child to

th's proposal offers her a secure protection against that inhuman wretch who has ill-used her already, and who may o

she thought of it bitterly en

your watchful kindness be sufficient to shield her against dangers to which I hardly dare allude?-against wickedness which would take advantage of her defenselessness, her innocence, and even her misfortune? Consider all that Mr. Blyth's proposal promises for

retch-but only give me a little time to think; a little time lo

s. Peckover before he answered, when the door opened

a little irritably. "Didn't I tell you n

e clown's wife as he closed the door behind him-"but there's a person waiting i

e? What's

e is Jubber, if

, clutching Doctor Joyce by the arm in the extremity of her terror. "He's found us out, and come here in one of his dreadful passions! He cares

or kindly. Then, turning to Vance, he added:-"Show Mr. Jubb

iness I can guess at) I have three important questions to ask of you. In the first place, were you not a witness, last

sir!-beat her most c

aw it all

ed her worse, if I hadn't

gned any agreement-any papers, I mean, giving this man

my life. Jubber would think himself insulted, if you only

ndertake to put it out of this blackguard's power ever to lay a finger on her agai

to save her, sir

r. Blyth's proposal; for I can only ens

orld, if I could say 'no' at such a time as this. I will trust my precious darling treasure to you, sir, and to Mr. Blyth; from this moment. God bless her, and comfort me! for I want comfort badly enough. Oh, Mary! Mary! my own l

re, as soon as she recovers a little," whispered the

daylight. The most monstrous ape that could be picked from the cages of the Zoological Gardens would have gained by comparison with him as he now appeared, standing in the Rectory cloak-room, with his debauched bloodshot eyes staring grimly contemptuous all about him, with his yellow flabby throat exposed by a turn-down collar and a light blue neck-tie, with t

he rector, not sitting down himself,

e fellow, assuming his most insole

ll you have the goodness to state your business wit

re trying to come Tommy Grand over me already, are you? Very good! I'm the man to give you change in your own coin-so here goes! Wha

tever, except that you wish to behave offensively to me; which, in a person of your appearance, is, I assure you

r, losing his temper. "Then, by God, y

aths in my presence again, I shall ring for my se

u w

most ce

he face. It was the old, invariable struggle, between the quiet firmness of good breeding, and th

e you with getting my deaf and dumb girl into your house, to perform before you on the sly. If you're too virtuous to come to my circus-and better than you have been there-you ought to have paid the proper price

been at my house to-day?" asked Doctor Joyce, without

king her in, and told me of it when I missed them at dinner. Th

ntention of denying it. The

? Ah! shabby! shabby! I should be ashamed of myself,

ined the rector. "The child, however, has gone through no performances here, not having been sent for with any such purpose as you

I want the child-so just deliver her up at once, will you?-and turn out Peck as soon as you like after. I'll cure the

f you occupied it in altering the bills of your performance, so as to inform

ny all of a sudden! Alter my bills-eh? Not bad! Upon my soul, not at all bad for a parson! Give us another

ckover (the only person who has any right to exercise control over her) has consented to this arrangement. If your business here was to take

ourse! I'm so devilish fond of you and your friend! You're such nice men, you can make me do anything! Damn all this jabber and nonsense!" roared the ruffian, passing su

Joyce rang the bell. "I told you what I should do, if

d a finger on me," said Jubber, knocking his ha

displaying an interesting paleness of complexion. Jubber sp

s?" asked Doctor Joyce, reddenin

Vance, in a remarkabl

say I want him; and let the gardener w

only to say that, if you attempt to back that denial by still asserting your claim to her, and making a disturbance in my house, as sure as you stand there, I'll ruin you in Rubbleford and in all the country round. (It's no use laughing-I can do it!) You beat the child in the vilest manner last night. I am a magistrate; and I have my prosecutor and my witness of the assault ready whenever I choose to call them. I can fine or imprison you, which I please. You know the public; you know what they think of people who ill-use helpless children. If you appeared in that character b

stamped about the room, and uttered fragments of oaths, but did not otherwise interrupt Dr. Joyce, while that gentleman was speaking to him. When the rector had

to. I'll show you a little legal law! (Here he stepped to the hall door.) I'll be even with you, damme! I'll charge you with setting on your menial servants to assault me. (Here he looked fiercely at the gardener, a freckled Scotch giant of six feet three, and instantly descended five steps.) Lay a finger on me, if you dare! I'm going straight from this house to the lawyer's. I'm a free Englishman, and I'll have my rights and my legal

bable event of Mr. Jubber's return, Doctor Joyce repaired immediately

tle Mary's slate, without the slightest previous preparation or coaxing, that she was to go home with him to-morrow, and be as happy as the day was long, all the rest of her life. The result of this incautious method of proceeding was that the child became excessively frightened, and ran away from everybody to take refuge

hose self-possession seemed in imminent danger of being overthrown by little Mary's mute demonstrations of affection, listened anxiously to every word the Doctor uttered; and, as soon as he had done, said

got to the circus. "The dear child's safe; and that's all I care about. I'm big enough and strong enough to take my own pa

arm invitation that was given to her to return; stooped down to the child; and, kissing her, wrote on the slate, "I shall be back, dear, in the evening, at seven o'clock

at her slate, as if she could only find comfort in reading the few words which Mrs. Peckover had written on it. At last, Mr. Blyth took her up on his knee. She struggled to get away, for a moment-then looked intently in h

lf-past-then eight-and Mrs. Peckover never appeared. Doctor Joyce

they tenderly, but firmly, detained her at the Rectory, she wept bitterly-wept so long, that at last she fairly cried herself asleep in Valentine's arms. He sat anxiously supporting her with a patience that nothing could tire. The sunset rays, which he had at

in half an hour. They had given her some work to do at the circus, w

ild to his own profit, by dint of prompt lying in his favorite large type, sprinkled with red letters. He informed the public, through the medium of his hand-bills, that the father of the Mysterious Foundling had been "most providentially" discovered, and that he (Mr. Jubber) had given the child up immediately, without a thought of what he might personally suffer, in pocket as well as in mind, by his generosity. After this, he appealed confidently to the sympat

ning to good pecuniary account the ignominious defe

moonbeams were streaming through the windows over the broad, old-fashioned landings of the rectory stair-case, and bathed the child's sleeping face in their lovely light, as Valentine carefully bore her in h

covered her over lightly with a shawl-then we

er face, as they looked at her. Besides a bundle with the child's few clothes in it, she broug

go with her." She addressed Mr. Blyth as she spoke, and ga

s. All pain of parting would now be spared, on one side at least. She went up to look at her on her bed, and k

my first letter from her so much, if it's only a couple of lines. God bless you, sir; and good-bye. It ought to be a comfort to me, and it is, to know that you will b

exacted from her a promise to return often to the Rectory, while the circus was at Rubbleford; saying also that he and his family desired her to look on them always as her fast and firm friends in any emergency. Valentine

d little Mary left the Rectory, and