y me, miss; it ain't for such as me
to be comin' here in broad day to do it, either; but I come to ask a
favor,--not for me, miss, but for the darling boy.

Miss Mary (aside--abstractedly). This poor, degraded creature will kill
me with her wearying gratitude. Sandy will not return, of course, while
she is here. (Aloud.) Go on. If I can help you or yours, be assured I
will.

The Duchess. Thankee, miss. You see, thar's no one the boy has any claim
on but me, and I ain't the proper person to bring him up. I did allow to
send him to 'Frisco, last year; but when I heerd talk that a schoolma'am
was comin' up, and you did, and he sorter tuk to ye natril from the
first, I guess I did well to keep him yer. For, oh, miss, he loves ye
so much; and, if you could hear him talk in his purty way, ye wouldn't
refuse him anything.

Miss Mary (with fatigued politeness, and increasing impatience). I see,
I see: pray go on.

The Duchess (with quiet persistency). It's natril he should take to ye,
miss; for his father, when I first knowed him, miss, was a gentleman
like yourself; and the boy must forget me sooner or later--and I ain't
goin' to cry about THAT.

Miss Mary (impatiently). Pray tell me how I can serve you.

The Duchess. Yes, miss; you see, I came to ask you to take my
Tommy,--God bless him for the sweetest, bestest boy that lives!--to take
him with you. I've money plenty; and it's all yours and his. Put him
in some good school, whar ye kin go and see, and sorter help him
to--forget---his mother. Do with him what you like. The worst you can
do will be kindness to what he would learn with me. You will: I know you
will; won't you? You will make him as pure and as good as yourself; and
when he has grown up, and is a gentleman, you will tell him his father's
name,--the name that hasn't passed my lips for years,--the name of
Alexander Morton.

Miss Mary (aside). Alexander Morton! The prodigal! Ah, I see,--the
ungathered husks of his idle harvest.

The Duchess. You hesitate, Miss Mary. (Seizing her.) Do not take your
hand away. You are smiling. God bless you! I know you will take my boy.
Speak to me, Miss Mary.

Miss Mary (aloud). I will take your child. More than that, I will take
him to his father.

The Duchess. No, no! for God's sake, no, Miss Mary! He has never seen
him from his birth: he does not know him. He will disown him. He will
curse him,--will curse me!

Miss Mary. Why should he? Surely his crime is worse tha