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"Dear child, why make such a mystery about it?" said Mrs Dotropy; "why not tell the captain of your suspicion, and ask him to go and see the woman?" "Because it would be so cruel to raise his expectations, mother, and then perhaps find that I was wrong. It would disappoint him so terribly.
"A Testament, David from me. It will do your soul good if you will read it. And the tract wrapped round it is from a lady." The frown returned to the man's face as he growled "What lady?" "The lady with the curious name, who was down here last summer for sea-bathing; don't you remember Miss Ruth Dotropy? It is a temperance tract."
"We'll not have much of Billy's company this week, I fear," said Mrs Bright, with a glance of pride at her son, who returned it with a look of surprise. "Why so, Nell?" asked her husband. "Because he has got to go to London." "To Lun'on!" exclaimed the father. "Lun'on!" echoed the son. "Yes; it seems that Miss Ruth that dear young lady, Miss Ruth Dotropy you remember her, Billy?" "Remember her!
Invulnerable alike to chaff and to earnest advice, Gunter sat on the fore-hatch smoking, while psalms of praise were rising from the hold. Now, it was the little silver watch which caused all this trouble to Gunter. Bad as the man was, he had never been an absolute thief, until the night on which he had robbed Ruth Dotropy.
He stopped and looked from one lady to the other. "Miss Ruth," said that young lady, flushing deeply, "is supposed to know nothing whatever about your transactions with Captain Bream. Shall I go and tell James to carry the box down-stairs, mother?" Mrs Dotropy gave permission, and Ruth retired. A few minutes later, young Dalton drove away with the captain's chest of gold.
Apologising for not being more punctual in calling for the chest, he explained that pressing-business had detained him. "Of course, of course," said Mrs Dotropy, with the familiarity of an old friend for such she was to the youth "you men of business always carry about that cloak of pressing-business to cover your sins and shortcomings with."
"Then you never heard either your father or mother mention any other name than Bright I mean in connection with yourselves?" said Ruth in a disappointed tone. "Never, Miss, as I can reck'lect on. I would willin'ly say yes, to please you, but I'd raither not tell no lies." "That's right my good boy," said Mrs Dotropy, with a stately but approving nod, "for you know where all liars go to."
"And now, mother," she said, "I must go at once to London, and tell Captain Bream of my suspicions about Mrs Bright, and get him to come down here, so as to bring them face to face without further delay." "My dear child, you will do nothing of the sort," said Mrs Dotropy, with unwonted decision.
They were De Tropys at that time, but, having sunk in the social scale in the course of centuries, and then risen again in succeeding centuries through the medium of trade, they reappeared on the surface with their patronymic transformed as now presented. "Mother," said Ruth Dotropy to a magnificent duchess-like woman, "I've come to ask you about the poor "
"Nay, you are unjust," said the young man, "I appeal to Miss Ruth. Did I not say to Captain Bream that I might perhaps have difficulty in getting away at the hour named, as it was a business hour, and, the transaction being of a friendly and private nature " "My dear sir," interrupted Mrs Dotropy, "if it is private, pray do not make it public." "Has not Miss Ruth, then, told you "
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