“Yes; about riches. I’m a poor, helpless woman now. All gone—all gone!”
It was a long story about how she had allowed herself to be influenced by Cousin Thompson, whom she had permitted to make investment after investment till he seemed to have got the whole of the widow’s money into his hands.
“And all went so well till that day when I offended him, dear Mr Salis. Since then I have had nothing but bad news about my property, and now I can get no answers from him at all.”
“A scoundrel!” cried Salis; “but what day do you mean?”
“That day when—must I tell you everything?”
“If you wish for my help,” said Salis sharply.
“I do, Mr Salis; but pray don’t speak angrily to me. I am so broken and unhappy now.”
“My dear madam, I want to help you. Pray tell me all.”
“He came down to me one day—I have the date somewhere—and he proposed to me. I refused him at once, for I quite disliked the man, and he went away my enemy, I’m sure, and when I heard of his conduct towards his cousin, I felt that I had had a narrow escape from a perfect fiend. And now, Mr Salis, what shall I do?”
“The dog!” ejaculated Salis. “I’m longing for occupation; leave it to me, Mrs Berens. I’ve been seeing a friend—my solicitor—in town about North’s affair with his cousin; we’ll work the two together, and if Mr Thompson does not mind, he’ll find himself in a strange fix.”