“But it may! And it shall! I, too, sinner that I am, have learned to pray. I pray daily, hourly, that I may be permitted to find the child and bring it as a peace offering to my dear, injured wife. And I shall do it. I feel sure that I shall.”
“Heaven grant that you may,” sighed Dick; “but recollect that already everything has been done that experience, interest, energy, money, skill, can do.”
“But not all that despair can do! Oh, Dick! I have so set my heart on finding this child and bringing him to his mother that I shall surely do it.”
“The Lord send it.”
“And therefore, Dick, I want you to prepare her to expect the child; or, rather, to believe it probable that he will soon be found; so that when I do bring him to her she may not die from a shock of joy.”
“I will do as you request, Alick; but I shall have to act with great discretion in the matter.”
“Certainly you will, and you can. Does she know anything about——” Alick hesitated to name the affair of honor of which he was now so heartily ashamed. “Does she know anything about——”
“Your illness in Jersey, or its cause?” said Dick, delicately coming to his help. “Of course not. We were not going to tell her anything to add to her troubles.”
“You were right!—But what a heartless wretch she must think me, to be in town and to show no interest in the loss of my child!” exclaimed Alexander.
Dick could not help remembering that Drusilla had had quite cause enough to believe him a “heartless wretch” without this. But Dick was very good-natured, so he said: