“ ‘The ring,’ replied I, ‘and an open confession of how you came by it.’
“ ‘I can easily tell you that, the more readily as I think you already guess the truth. I received it from my lady fair, Miss Theodora S——. Ah! my dear fellow, she is un morceau de prince.’
“Your name, dear love, sounded to my heart like a thunderclap, but only because such lips dared to pronounce it, for I never for an instant supposed that he owed the ring to any thing but some miserable fraud. Without allowing myself to be outwardly disturbed by the man’s impudence, ‘no more of this,’ I said, ‘give me the ring this moment, or I will immediately inform Gen. B—— of the ingenious trick by which he lost his two thousand louis d’ors yesterday. You may have seen me before? I have also seen you, and although yesterday it was none of my business, and I did not feel myself called upon to act as guardian to your dupes, to-day the office suits me exactly. So choose—the ring, and an explanation, or the general’s whip, and my pistols.’ Pale and trembling, the wretch drew the ring from his finger and handed it to me with your father’s note. I hastened away with my heart filled with happiness. All was clear to me—only your grief in being so deceived troubled me. No, my Theodora, I am not unworthy of you. Tell every thing to your father, and commend me to his love. I would write to him but I cannot. Yes, Theodora, there is mystery still, the time for explanation is not yet arrived, but I can see nothing but joy in store for us. Trust in my fervent eternal love as I trusted in yours. It is impossible for you to answer this, for you do not know where I am; I, myself do not know where I may be to-morrow. But soon I shall be with you, never to leave you but to be always your own,
Robert.”
Theodora’s eyes now sparkled with love and joy, but her father silently folded the letter again and gave it to her.
“How, father?” she asked, “you say nothing!”
“What can I say?” replied her father. “He has acted nobly, and that he really loves you is clear to me. But, beware my child, the tempter goeth about as a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.”
But a new life had begun for Theodora. She soon knew the dear letter by heart, and thought only of his return. Thus a week passed away, and another, when the post again brought a letter for her father, marked private.
“From my dear friend, Dr. S——, of the springs at A——, said he, as he locked himself into his study, and seating himself in his arm-chair, read the following—
“Dear old Friend,—I have so little time for writing any thing but prescriptions in this busy place, that you will be surprised indeed to receive this. But your happiness is mine, and I can no longer keep secret what I know is in store for you. The twenty dollars that you in your simple benevolence slipped into the hands of the old gray-coat, has brought you interest indeed. That shabby was Sir William C——, the rich English banker, who diseased in body, and plunged into insane misanthrophy by the death of his wife, and of all save one of four children, to whom he was devotedly attached, spent this summer at the springs. At the urgent solicitation of his only son, a young man of most prepossessing manners and appearance, I had been for some time attending him, when you met him in the garden. Your kindness to him when you could not know him, his conversation with you, and your warm, humane nature made the greatest impression upon him, and so moved him that he was immediately afterward seized with a violent attack of illness, which proved a favorable crisis, and his health both of body and mind is completely restored. His gratitude to you knows no bounds. He is now, by my advice, traveling through Italy previous to coming to R——, where he intends to present himself at your door in his former shabby dress, and require at your hands the friendship you so generously proffered him. As for his son, ask your daughter, Theodora, she can tell you far more about him than I can. All this I should not have told you, but how could I help it? With the warmest congratulations, and repeated injunctions laid upon you to keep the secret from your wife and children better than I have been able to keep it from you, believe me, my dear old friend, truly yours,