I sighed, too; and if the truth were to be told, I was very much afraid.
“But, of course, you are acting under advice, and with the counsel of those well able to guide you.”
“I cannot say I am, madam; I am free to tell you that every step I am now taking is self-suggested.”
“Oh, then, let me implore you to pause, sir,” said she, falling on her knees before me; “let me thus entreat of you not to go further in a path so full of danger.”
“Shall I confess, madam,” said I, proudly, “that I do not see these dangers you speak of?”
I thought that on this hint she would talk out, and I might be able to pierce the veil of the mystery, and discover who I was; for though very like my mother, and shorter than my father, I was sorely puzzled about my parentage; but she only went off into generalities about the state of the Continent and the condition of Europe generally. I saw now that my best chance of ascertaining something about myself was to obtain from her the newspaper that first suggested her discovery of me, and I said half carelessly, “Let me see the paragraph which struck you in the 'Courrier.'”
“Ah, sir, you must excuse me, these ignoble writers have little delicacy in alluding to the misfortunes of the great; they seem to revenge the littleness of their own station on every such occasion.”
“You can well imagine, madam, how time has accustomed me to such petty insults: show me the paper.”
“Pray let me refuse you, sir; I would not, however blamelessly, be associated in your mind with what might offend you.”
Again I protested that I was used to such attacks, that I knew all about the wretched hireling creatures who wrote them, and that instead of offending, they positively amused me,—actually made me laugh.