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Page 10
"There were several persons in, you say?" remarked Jasper, after
Claire had related a number of particulars.
"Yes, three or four."
"Ladies, of course?"
"Yes."
"Did any of them propose to take the child home with them?"
"Not directly. One woman asked me a number of questions about the
little girl."
"Of what nature?"
"As to whether there were any relatives or particular friends who
would take charge of her?"
"And you told her there were none?"
"Yes; none of whom I had any knowledge."
"Well? What had she to say to that?"
"She wanted to know if there would be any thing for the child's
support. I said that there would, in all probability."
"Well?"
"Then she gave me to understand, that if no one took the child, she
might be induced to board her for a while, until other arrangements
were made."
"Did you give her to understand that this was practicable?"
"No, sir."
"Why not? She will have to be boarded, you know."
"I neither liked the woman's face, manner, nor appearance."
"Why not?"
"Oh, she was a vulgar, coarse, hard-looking creature to my eyes."
"Kind hearts often lie concealed under unpromising externals."
"True; but they lie not concealed under that exterior, be well
assured, Mr. Jasper. No, no. The child who has met with so sad a loss
as that of a mother, needs the tenderest guardianship. At best, the
case is hard enough."
Jasper did not respond to this humane sentiment, for there was no pity
in him. The waves of feeling, stirred so suddenly a few hours before,
had all subsided, and the surface of his heart bore no ripple of
emotion. He thought not of the child as an object claiming his regard,
but as a trouble and a hinderance thrown in his way, to be disposed of
as summarily as possible.
"I'm obliged to you, Edward, for the trouble you have taken in my
stead," he remarked, after a slight pause. "To-morrow, I may wish
you to call there again. Of course, the neighbours will give needful
attention until the funeral takes place. By that time, perhaps, the
child will have made a friend of some one of them, and secure, through
this means, a home for the present. It is, for us, a troublesome
business at best, though it will soon be over."
A person coming in at the moment, Claire left his employer to attend
at the counter. The new customer, it was quickly perceived by the
clerk, was one who might readily be deceived into buying the articles
for which she inquired, at a rate far in advance of their real value;
and he felt instantly tempted to ask her a very high price. Readily,
for it was but acting from habit, did he yield to this temptation. His
success was equal to his wishes. The woman, altogether unsuspicious
of the cheat practised upon her, paid for her purchases the sum of
ten dollars above their true value. She lingered a short time after
settling her bill, and made some observation upon a current topic
of the day. One or two casually-uttered sentiments did not fall like
refreshing dew upon the feelings of Claire, but rather stung him like
words of sharp rebuke, and made him half regret the wrong he had done
to her. He felt relieved when she retired.
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