“But how is it to be done. We might get up a big scandal; but people are getting shy of believing such things, when they come from the basement; but for that, I am capital at building castles out of card-houses. In our line now, I could work wonders against any girl——”
“Not any girl, Mr. Mahone,” broke in Ellen, with a hot burst of pride. “There are persons that slander cannot reach!”
“I meant any girl like that, if she belonged to our spear, Miss Ellen. Of course, there are women as high as the stars. Having a sample before me, I can say that, and defy contradiction.
“The girl is awful proud of her family; poor but honest, you know,” said Ellen, once more mollified to the business point.
“Honest! My eyes! that is good! Why, Boyce was just telling me that the boy has been robbing like sixty—hand in hand with a lot of burglars. It’s a secret; but the detectives are on his track now.”
CHAPTER. L.
A BARGAIN AT LAST.
“You don’t say so! Oh, Mr. Mahone, this is news! Why, just as like as not, she’s leagued in with him. That whole family may be a nest of thieves.”
“A nest of thieves—and she among them, I shouldn’t wonder!”
“Prove it; fasten it upon them; have the thing made public, and our work is done.”
“Would that be enough?”