"That you will be best able to estimate."
"Explain yourself, and bear in mind that I can bestow little time on you."
"I can do that in a few words. You employed me to kidnap a child. I believe the law has something to say about that. At any rate, the child's mother may have."
"What do you know about the child's mother?" demanded Somerville, hastily.
"All about her!" said Peg, emphatically.
"How am I to credit that? It is easy to claim a knowledge you do not possess."
"Shall I tell you the whole story, then? In the first place, she married your cousin, after rejecting you. You never forgave her for this. When, a year after marriage, her husband died, you renewed your proposals. They were rejected, and you were forbidden to renew the subject on pain of forfeiting her friendship forever. You left her presence, determined to be revenged. With this object you sought Dick and myself, and employed us to kidnap the child. There is the whole story, briefly told."
"Woman, how came this within your knowledge?" he demanded, hoarsely.
"That is of no consequence," said Peg. "It was for my interest to find out, and I did so."
"Well?"