His next visit was to his attorney, Birney, who had been a day or two in
town, and whom he found in his office in Gloucester street.
"Well, Mr. Birney," he inquired, "what advance are you making?"
"Why," replied Birney, "the state of our case is this: if Mrs. Norton
could be traced we might manage without the documents you have lost;--by
the way, have you any notion where the scoundrel might be whom you
suspect of having taken them?"
"What! M'Bride? I was told, as I mentioned before, that he and the
Frenchwoman went to America, leaving his unfortunate wife behind him.
I could easily forgive the rascal for the money he took; but the
misfortune was, that the documents and the money were both in the same
pocket-book. He knew their value, however, for unfortunately he was
fully in my confidence. The fellow was insane about the girl, and I
think it was love more than dishonesty that tempted him to the act. I
have little doubt that he would return me the papers if he knew where to
send them."
"Have you any notion where the wife is?"
"None in the world, unless that she is somewhere in this country, having
set out for it a fortnight before I left Paris.
Pages:
321
322
323
324
325
326
327
328
329
330
331
332
333
334
335
336
337
338
339
340
341
342
343
344
345