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Certainly this is a very simple affair, and my old friend Abou al Phadre would have smiled at its littleness. Still it must convince every unprejudiced mind that there is something deeper and more wonderful than those things which are constantly passing before your view." Miss Staggles, who had been almost as silent as a sphinx, spoke now.
"I can't say as to that, but I should think you are correct." "Then she's a young lady of very strong likes and dislikes, but at bottom is of a very affectionate nature." "Affectionate to nearly every one but me," muttered Miss Staggles. "She is intensely proud " "As Lucifer!" interrupted Miss Staggles. "This is her great weakness," went on Voltaire.
I am sure you will allow me to vindicate and prove any assertion I have made. If I have claimed a knowledge of the mysterious, I have not done so without reason." "We believe that is true," said Miss Staggles; "we believe you are a wonderful man." "Thank you," said Voltaire. "I am sure I have Miss Staggles' sympathies, but will some one assist me in what I am about to do?
She's very clear-headed, sharp, and clever; a hater of humbug, a despiser of cant." "True enough; but what's this got to do with the matter?" "In spite of this, however," went on Voltaire without heeding Miss Staggles' query, "she has a great deal of romance in her nature; has a strong love for mystery, so much so that she is in some things a trifle superstitious."
Perhaps some of my readers may think I was doing wrong in determining to listen to the proposed conference between Miss Staggles and Voltaire. I do not offer any excuse, however. I felt that if this man was to be fought, it must be by his own weapons; such, at any rate, as I could use. I remembered the terrible influence he had exercised over me, the power of which might not yet be broken.
"Yes," I said; "I shall make you." "You cannot," he jeered. "I have it in my power now to lodge you safe in a felon's gaol, and bring you to a hangman's noose." "Ay, and I would too," cried Miss Staggles. "You are too kind, too forbearing, Mr. Voltaire." "Oh, leave me," cried Miss Forrest, clinging closer to me; "I will suffer anything rather than you should be be "
"Well, sur, I takes it to my shanty, and puts it in my own box, to show you at 'a convenient season, as Moses said." "Is that all?" "Not quite. The next mornin' I see her a-airin' her sweet self on the lawn, so I goes up to 'er all familiar like, and I says, 'Top o' the mornin', Miss Staggles. "'Who are you, man? she says.
'I believe, I says, 'that it's that hinfidel and the skinny wirgin a-walkin' together. They goes into the summer-'ouse, and then I creeps down, and gets behind a tree, but close enough to the couple to hear every word. Sure 'nough, sur, I wur right; it was the wirgin Staggles and this 'ere Woltaire. "'They seemed quarrellin' like when I come up, for she wur sayin' "'Tis no use, she never will.
However, you will have a chaperon, so the deficiency will be more than remedied;" and there was grim satisfaction in the woman's voice. There was no satisfaction in the young lady's face, however, and she turned with what I thought an angry look towards the scrawny duenna, who had claimed guardianship over her, and said "But, Miss Staggles, you are in a false position.
"They've bin a-promenadin' together nearly every day since Christmas; and when a feller like that 'ere Woltaire goes a-walkin' with a creature like that hancient wirgin on his arm, then I think there must be somethin' on board." "But this is purely surmise, Simon. There is no reason why Miss Staggles and Mr. Voltaire may not walk together." "There's more than surmise, sur.
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