kindly come to London, or name any
convenient place on the Continent for our meeting, he would punctually
present himself at the time agreed on. Of course I guessed what had
occurred,--indeed, it had always been a matter of astonishment to me how
long I had been spared; at all events, I determined on resistance. I
wrote back a letter, half sorrow, half indignation; I spoke of the dear
child as all that remained of consolation to my widowed heart; I said
that though it was in his competence to withhold from me the little
pittance which served to relieve some of the pressure of our narrow
means, yet I would not separate myself from my darling child, even
though at the cost of sharing with her a mere sufficiency for support. I
told him, besides, that he should never hear from me more, nor would all
his efforts enable him to trace us. It was then I became Mrs. Penthony
Morris. I suppose Winthrop was sorry for his step; at least, by a
variety of curious advertisements in English papers, he suggested
that some accommodation might be arranged, and entreated me to renew
intercourse with him. There were many reasons why I could not agree to
this. Clara, too, was of great use to me. To a lone woman in the
world, without any definite belongings, a child is invaluable. The
advertisements were continued, and even rewards offered for such
information as might lead to my discovery. All in vain: he never
succeeded in tracing me, and at length gave up the pursuit.

"I must now skip over some years which have no bearing on this incident,
and come to a period comparatively recent, when, in the transaction of
certain purchases of American securities, I came unexpectedly on
the mention of a new railroad line through a district whose name was
familiar to me. I set myself to think where, when, and how I had heard
of this place before, and at last remembered it was from H------, who
used to talk of this property as what would one day make his daughter
a great heiress. My moneyed speculations had led me into much intimacy
here with a banker, Mr. Trover, over whom an accidental discovery gave
me absolute power. It was no less than a forgery he had committed on my
name, and of which, before relinquishing the right to take proceedings
against him, I obtained his full confession in writing. With this tie
over the man, he was my slave; I sent him here and there at my pleasure,
to buy, and sell, and gain information, and so on, and, above all, to
obt