MISS LAURA STANBRIDGE DOES A FAINT.
“By escaping from the clutches of the old Jewess, who thought she had me as her slave for life, and by diligently saving my money, I was enabled after some time to purchase the lease of this house, and enter upon a new and safer line of business—I became a receiver of stolen goods.”
“And your friend?” said Algernon, carelessly.
“Oh, the lady you saw here when we first became acquainted.”
“Precisely—the old lady.”
“She was of service to me.”
“So I should imagine, else you wouldn’t have had her here.”
“No, I met her at a rural lodging-house, playing at hide and seek with the police about attempting infanticide or something of that sort. I do not know where she is now. We had some words, and she took herself off. After I met with her I used to ply my trade of shoplifting in fashionable quarters, parading her as my duenna.”
“Oh, she could ply that part well enough, I dare say,” observed the young man, dryly.
His companion proceeded—