He's a landlord, he says, and lives on everybody's custom.'
'He's a jewel,' smiled Mr Chester, 'and the better for being a dull
one.--Well?'
'Varden's daughter--that's the girl I kissed--'
'--and stole the bracelet from upon the king's highway,' said Mr
Chester, composedly. 'Yes; what of her?'
'She wrote a note at our house to the young woman, saying she lost the
letter I brought to you, and you burnt. Our Joe was to carry it, but
the old one kept him at home all next day, on purpose that he shouldn't.
Next morning he gave it to me to take; and here it is.'
'You didn't deliver it then, my good friend?' said Mr Chester, twirling
Dolly's note between his finger and thumb, and feigning to be surprised.
'I supposed you'd want to have it,' retorted Hugh. 'Burn one, burn all,
I thought.'
'My devil-may-care acquaintance,' said Mr Chester--'really if you do not
draw some nicer distinctions, your career will be cut short with most
surprising suddenness. Don't you know that the letter you brought to
me, was directed to my son who resides in this very place? And can you
descry no difference between his letters and those addressed to other
people?'
'If you don't want it,' said Hugh, disconcerted by this reproof, for he
had expected high praise, 'give it me back, and I'll deliver it.
Pages:
358
359
360
361
362
363
364
365
366
367
368
369
370
371
372
373
374
375
376
377
378
379
380
381
382