the son not criminated by the father's acquittal! Tell me that! again—again!"
"It is so, believe me. All that rests is to force on that son, if he have a human heart, the conviction that he will be worse than a parricide if he will not save himself."
"And he will—he shall! Oh that I could but get at him!" exclaimed the preacher.
"And now," said Darrell—" now, George, leave us; for now, upon equal terms, we two fathers can discuss family differences."
CHAPTER VIII.
Sophy's claim examined and canvassed.
"I take this moment," said Darrell, when left alone with Waife—(ah, reader, let us keep to that familiar name to the last!)—"I take this moment," said Darrell, "the first moment in which you can feel thoroughly assured that no prejudice against yourself clouds my judgment in reference to her whom you believe to be your grandchild, to commence—and, I trust, to conclude forever—the subject which twice brought you within these walls. On the night of your recent arrival here, you gave me this copy of a French woman's declaration, to the effect that two infants had been placed out with her to nurse; that one of them was my poor daughter's infant, who was about to be taken away from her; that the other was confided to her by its parent, a French lady, whom she speaks of as a very liberal and distinguished person, but whose name is not stated in the paper."
Waife. "The confession describes that lady as an artiste; 'distinguished artiste' is the expression—viz., a professional person—a painter—an actress—a singer—or—"
Darrell (dryly). "An opera-dancer! I understand the French word perfectly. And I presume the name is not mentioned in the document from motives of delicacy; the child of a distinguished French artiste is not necessarily born in wedlock. But this lady was very grateful to the nurse for the care shown to her infant, who was very sickly; and promised to take the nurse, and the nurse's husband also, into her service. The nurse states that she herself was very poor; that the lady's offer appeared to her like a permanent provision; that the life of this artiste's infant was of the utmost value to her—the life of my poor daughter's child of comparative insignificance. But the
