riously.

"'Yes, madam,' said he; 'I edited a well-known weekly newspaper at that
time, and got some marvellous details from a fellow who was on the spot,'

"I assure you, papa, though I am not given to tremors, I shuddered at
having for my accomplice a man that I could not deceive as to my past
life. It was to be such an open game between us that, in surrendering
all the advantages of my womanly arts, I felt I was this man's
slave, and yet he was a poor creature. He had the technical craft
for simulating a handwriting and preparing a false document, but was
miserably weak in providing for all the assaults that must be directed
against its authenticity.

"His plan was, armed with what he called an attested copy of H.'s will,
to set out for America and discover this Mr. Winthrop. Cleverly enough,
he had bethought him of securing this gentleman's co-operation by making
him a considerable inheritor under the will. In fact, he charged the
estate with a very handsome sum in his favor, and calculated on all the
advantages of this bribe; and without knowing it, Mr. Winthrop was to be
'one of us.'

"He sailed in due time, but I heard no more of him; and, indeed, I began
to suspect that the two bank-notes I had given him, of one hundred each,
had been very unprofitably invested, when by this day's post a letter
reaches me to say that success had attended him throughout. By a mere
accidental acquaintance on a railroad, he 'fell in' with--that's his
phrase, which may mean that he stole--some very curious documents
which added to his credit with Winthrop. He describes this gentleman
as exactly what he looked for, and with this advantage, that having
latterly been somewhat unfortunate in speculation, he was the more eager
to repair his fortune by the legacy. He says that only one embarrassing
circumstance occurred, and this was that Winthrop determined at once on
coming over to England, so that the authenticity of the will should be
personally ascertained by him, and all his own proceedings in the matter
be made sure. 'For this purpose,' he writes, 'we shall sail from this
place by the first steamer for Liverpool, where let me have a letter
addressed to the Albion to say where you are to be found. Winthrop's
first object will be to meet you, and you must bethink you well what
place you will deem most suitable for this purpose. Of course the
more secluded and private the better. I have explained to him that so
overwhelmed were yo