href="@public@vhost@g@gutenberg@html@files@34168@[email protected]#CHAPTER_XX_MR_LE_MOYNE_OF_PARIS" class="pginternal" tag="{http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml}a">144

XXI. Paul and Scott. 147 XXII. Looking for a Place. 152 XXIII. June’s Reason—Letter From Paul. 162 XXIV. A Scene on the Water. 176 XXV. The Elopement. 184 XXVI. The Old House at Roxbury. 194 XXVII. Insane Bessie. 199 XXVIII. Bessie’s Visit. 208 XXIX. The Fortune Teller. 216 XXX. Bessie’s Sad Story. 227 XXXI. Repenting at Leisure. 235 XXXII. A Bitter Atonement. 248 XXXIII. Still at Work. 262 XXXIV. A Game of Hearts. 268 XXXV. A Sad Event. 278 XXXVI. Solving the Problem. 292 XXXVII. General Explanation. 312

---

“Oh, you little wretch! What are you about? You dreadfully sinful little creature. Police, police!”

The speaker, a richly dressed woman, was just entering the spacious dining-room, as she caught sight of a dusky little form in the act of taking a set of silver spoons from the heavy gold-lined holder. The child raised a pair of coal-black eyes to the lady’s face as she turned to pass out of the dining-room door, which had been left open to let in the cool June breeze; but as she was about to cross the threshold she was seized by the strong hands of a policeman, who had answered Mrs. Wilmer’s call, and the silver was scattered in a dozen different directions.

“Did you ever see such a bold little creature in all your life? Who would have thought she would dare come in here, right in broad daylight, and steal my spoons off the table? Why, it’s awful!”

“It’s lucky you caught her at it,” said the officer, “for she is as quick as a deer, and saucy enough, no doubt, but never mind, we’ll put the little jade where she won’t steal anything again for a day or two, at least.” He took her roughly by the shoulder in the attempt to lead her away.

“Oh, don’t be too hard on her, mother,” said a young man who had followed her into the room, “perhaps she did not know just how wicked it was.”

His fine eyes looked pityingly on the child, who could not have been more than ten years of age.

“Oh, nonsense, sir, that is too old