A Perilous Secret

re, and hesitated; it seemed neither kind

bbed him of ￡20,000, and indeed of ten times that sum, for he had now bought experience in trade and speculation, and had learned to make money out of money, a heap out of a handful. Stung by this vul

ht sight of him, and stare

forward and carried out Bolton's instructions; he put on a tolerably jaunty air, and

Bartley, but like a man

lent, sir. I hear you have

the sort. I

ll at such prompt repulse. But he summoned courage, and,

rious acquirements in those who have the honor to serve you. For instance, I saw a small engine at work in your yard; n

Bartley, languidly, "and I

rushing away a fly mechanically and languidly. The poor fly felt sick at heart, and crept awa

a clerk? I can write bu

; and keep books

a clerk," was

conomy of industry, and will undertake to get you the gr

is back on him peevishly, for the first time, and p

id: "You have vans and carts. I understand horses thoroughly. I am a veterinary s

a hostler, and

sat down like a man who had fina

ears older. Then, with a piteous attempt at cheerfulness, he came nearer, and said:

pe's cheeks burned with shame as he made it. He g

e ground; he went and picked it up,

civility. This gave the poor daunted father courage again. Now that Bartley's face

aws his rents when he can get them, and never looks deeper than the roots of the grass his cattle crop. But I tell you he never takes a walk about his grounds but he marches upon millions-coal! sir, coal! and near the surface. I know the signs. But I am impotent: only fools possess the gold that wise men can coin into miracles. Try me, sir; honor me with y

in the interview, arreste

n," said he, "but I have no

e, sir?" asked the poor

I am sor

table mixture of sham sprightliness and real anguish, "Thank you, sir; I only trust that you will always find servants as devoted to your int

gned cheerfulness. The poor wretch uttered a cry, indeed a scream, of anguish, that would have thrilled ten thousand hearts had they heard

lp us both! Many a weary mile, sir, and never sure of supper or bed. The birds of the air have nests, the beasts of the field a shelter, the fox a hole, but my beautiful and fragile girl, only four years old, sir, is houseless and homeless. Her mother died of consumption, sir, and I live in mortal fear; for

ut how can I? Man-man-your child is alive, and while there is

aid Hope,

r. I can't look upon my blasted hopes, and my withered flower. Go and see my blue-eyed, fair-haired darling-clay, hastenin

nurse hesitated, but looked at him. His sad face inspired confidence, and she ushered him into the chamber of mourning. There, laid out in state, was a little figure that, seen in

from the room, and entered the office pale and disturbed. "Oh, sir! the very image of my own. It fills me with forebodings. I pity you, sir, with all my heart. That sad

him. "Are they so

, but Bartley, who had received him so col

to think it out. He walked to and fro in silent agitation, and his face was as a book in which you may read strange matte

eve in science and knowledge-like you. And, if my child had lived, you s

sual luck!" said he: "always a

f the money to work with, and I

gro

r a moment he said, timidly

. "I am not likely to raise object

ly the superior man you seem to

zled. However, he said, modestly, that he th

words; but they were not spoken firmly; on the contrary, Mr. B

latter said, in a low, impressive voice, "This is s

e to Hope. "The very walls must not hear what I now say to yo

ooked

er must take

concerned Mr. Bartley, he merely grinned at the disappointment likely to fall on his employer, for he knew Mary Bartley was at death's door. He said as much to himself, and went out for a sand

ones that Monckton drew up against the little wi

thing at all until H

y's pr

ld's wealth. What! You call yourself a father, and would tempt me to sell my own flesh and blood? No! Poverty, beggary, a

to make him hesitate. He never moved, but folded his arms

o strides, and attacked him with sudden power. "Who will suffer most if you stand in her light? Your daughter: why, she may die." Hope groaned. "Who will profit most if you are wise, and really love her, not like a jealous lover, but like a fat

e lost to me,"

er love you, do anything but tell her you are her father. Do this one thing for me, and I will do gre

little. "Am I se

thing reply. "No true father

hem against his brow. "It is selfish to stand i

eeing her sicken, linger, and die, you will see her surrounded by every comfort, nurs

ealth, and

ealth, and

still hesitating father; he began to make

her, the compact is broken,

them and ill-use them accordingly. She will be my little benefactress, God bless her! I may love her more than I ought, being

ken off his guard, and

ion, and somehow he c

eak the parting. "And from this hour," said he, "you are no clerk

said Hope,

eal with the nurse, and overcome the many difficulties. Stay, here is a five-pound note. Buy yours

out in the street, whilst he went into the hou

d deal. She stipulated that her darling should have Christian burial, and cried again at the doubt. But as Bartley conceded everything, and offered to

er that she proved a woman can keep a secret, and that in a very sho

osal, Hope's answer, and all that followed. Then he put this and Colonel Clifford's communication together, and saw the terrible importance of the two things combined. Th

d he was sure to put this discovery to profit. He came out of the l

resented themselves to his ingenious mind, and he naturally hesitated between them. O

ne toward the Cliffords, and, whilst he is in his

woman-tall, dark, with oval face and glorious black eyes and eyebrows, a slight foreign accent, and ingratiating manners. He called this beauty his sister, and instructed her to win Walter

lly expose it for the benefit of young Walter and his wife, who adored this Monckton,

uttered a cry of joy at sight of him, and came at him panting and full of love. "Oh, Leonard, I am so glad you are alone! Leonard, dear Leonard, pray do not insist on my marrying that young man. No

on his slave, and said, brutally, "Never

e diverted into this topic. "Why, h

iscovered another ￡20,000 he is heir to, and not

care for his money. Till he ca

ch as ever," said

don't, or you wouldn't giv

tched. "You fool," said he, "can't you marry him, and go on loving me? you w

dly in, had heard but little, but heard enough; and there he stood, grim and pale, a boy no longer. The

ur sister, and trapped me, and would have destroyed me." His lip quivered; for they had pass

off mistress as my wife." (Lucy hid her face in her hands.) "Here, Miss Lucy Monckton-or whatever you

private room, and there broke down. It was

e it differently. The woman cried, and took her punis

wish I had never seen the fellow: then you

you now, if yo

t only marry me, and I will be your slave in

olly. "I'll be even with him; I will m

uzzled

is name?"

not a

said she, "so that it is th

nvicted for the theft; convicted as Bolton, Clifford would never tell his real name, and Lucy should enter the Cliffords' house with a certificate of his de

was not a brain to disenta

ent. "What is the first

rst thing is t

e first thing, and the most understandable." And she went dancing off with him as gay as a lark, and

pass the great window. He watched them down t

re was Mr. Bartley seated at his own table. Young Clifford walked smartly to t

the payment

inspec

n five," sai

the reply. (Consu

have presse

not good a

re you

e puzzled

not fit f

hest compliment

as incompetent, are you? Then t

uld suit me bett

ed! Say o

luncheon-glass of bitter, sandwich, peep at Pu

ent one, not only in words, but in the delivery thereof. Bartley, however, thought this impertinence was put on, and that he had grave rea

fe, and just then Hope opened the doo

," said

ed my clothes and stood witness to a marriage. She begged me so hard: I

Bartley, with na

dden her i

moment, while th

his child, wrapped up in a nice warm shaw

shall love her as my own;" then he begged Hope to sit down in the lobby till he sh

e, and gave her to his

and one of them dishonest. I hope it is not

the same time Monckton came bri

llow Bolton a week's notice. But he insists on going direct

s? Eh?" sa

Mr. Bartley, I think, in justice to me, th

artley: "I'll have him

detective

to make some delicate arrangements to carry out a fraud, which, begging his pardon, was as felonious, though not so prosaic, as the one he suspected his young clerk of. Monckton

examine Bartley's day-book. His caution was rewarded-he found that the notes Bolton had brought in were numbered. He instantly made two parcels-clapped the unnumbered notes into his pocket. The numbered ones he took in his hand into the lobby. Now this lobby must be shortly described. First there was a door with a glass window, but the window had dark blue gauze fixed to it, so th

Clifford's coat, and the false keys into his bag. Then he whipped back

ned the lobby door the swing-door moved, or he thought so; he darted to it and opened it, but saw nobody, Hope hav

ch other rapidly, he would very likely have been knocked down. As it was, Walter Clifford entered the of

to the lobby, and, feeling hot, which was no wonder, bundled his office overcoat and his brush and comb into h

r stern, and said, "

," said the you

e and fixed his eyes upon the yo

a very great

l, I

n demanded your s

t; I was not made fo

g more to settle b

for good

this no jesting matter. There are

nce. "I am sorry to hear that, si

l more severely. "And

nswering his eyes rather than his wor

have been robbed, and so I suspect ev

Clifford to bear. He t

race the trader who e

u are too old for me to

re any longer t

and was marching off, w

a detective

rious in turn; "but you

ami

en, if you li

d the young fellow. "Spa

varicious, but not

ill examine the safe

lamation. "Why, it's a clean sweep! A wholesale robbery! Notes and gold all gone! No wonde

like a thief!" cried the

, why object?" said

ifford, "this is your d

is you. He is a faithful servant, who warned his employer." He then pointed sternly at y

his head, and looked guilty. He had heard of money being put into an i

stcoat pockets and found-nothi

is breast and examined

bag," sai

r fellow tre

searched the

at and turned the

the lobby, and now entered by the small office, and stood watching a part of this

been opened with fals

e are

otes," said Monckto

d Hope, "may I o

l are you?" s

my associate in busin

entially to Hope, "

erks. I would ex

ley, will you allow such an affront to

?" said young Clifford, spiteful

ck Bartley, and

Bolton," said he. "Come, come,

e stepped up to Monckton, and emptied his

Walter Clifford

, coolly; "and only a part of it, I am happy to

ve found se

beginning to doubt this clerk, who attended that meeting on

at not one of the num

ng Monckton's overcoat. He pr

there?" cried Mon

tly, and pounced on the keys. He tried them on the sa

some notes in the pocket of t

ied Monckton, "how

you know," sai

m eagerly. They were

your gold and your other notes came from. The who

. "It's all a delusion. Some rogue

I knew who was my bird the moment I clapped eyes on the two. 'Tain't his first job, gents

!" cried Bartl

, who stood with folded arms, and looked down on him with lowering br

ok was a revelat

cried, "i

uble felon, false accuser and thief

those who remained were awed. But Hope never told anybody except Walter Clifford that he had un

was clear Hope must have seen him commit the theft and attempt the other villainy. But the false accusation le

the day it first existed; yet on that very day it

onths. Then he turned up in Sussex with a little girl, who had b

rent pointed it out triumphantly, and raile