is pretty daughter; so I jest come to say that if Nance Burrill
could be got to go away, quiet like, before the other parties could get
their hands on her, why, it would be a good thing, Mr. Lamotte."

Considering the tender solicitude he feels for "Mr. Lamotte's pride," he
has given it some pretty hard knocks, but he looks quite innocent, and
incapable of any sinister intent, and Mr. Lamotte, after gnawing his lip
viciously for a moment and favoring his _vis-a-vis_ with a sharp glance
of suspicion, says, with sudden condescension:

"Brooks, I've always been inclined to believe you a pretty good sort of
fellow, but really this singular disinterestedness almost makes me
suspect your motive. Stop," as Brooks elevates his head and suddenly
faces toward the door. "Hear me out. Brooks, don't be ashamed to
confess it. Did the thought of a reward stimulate you to do me
this--favor?"

"If it's a favor, sir, you take it very uppish," retorts Brooks sulkily,
and edging slowly toward the door. "I'm a poor man, sir, but I ain't bad
enough to come to you with a trumped-up story, and if I happened to
think that in case you found things as I tell you, you might reward me
by and by with a ten-dollar note, why, I don't think there is much harm
in that. I liked you and your ways, and wanted to do you a good turn,
and if I wanted to do myself a good turn, too, why, there's nater in
that."

"There's nature in that, true enough. Brooks, I wish I had time to hear
all the particulars of this affair."

"I don't want to give them, sir," replies the man, hastily. "No more
would it be fair for me to do so. I've got some fair friends among the
Mill avenue folks. I've come back to W----, because I couldn't get on
anywhere else; and I've come back broke. The factory folks will trust me
to a night's lodging, when their betters wouldn't. I've told you enough
to open your eyes, sir; and you can look into the thing for yourself."

To "look into the thing" for himself, is precisely what Jasper Lamotte
is not inclined to do; so he says, with growing convictions, and
increasing friendliness of manner:

"At least, Brooks, you can give me an idea of the nature of the stories
this woman will tell, if brought into court?"

"The Lord knows what she won't tell, sir; she blows hot, and blows cold.
One minute she tells how he was a fairly good husband, until he got into
the hands of some city gang, while they lived in New York; and next she
raves over all