Ged, it's Castro's
major-domo. Demn me, but I believe all his domestics have fallen
in love with the pretty schoolma'am.
Enter MISS MARY from schoolhouse.
Miss Mary (slowly refolding letter). You are aware, then, of the
contents of this note; and you are the friend of Alexander Morton,
sen.?
Col. Starbottle. Permit me a moment, a single moment, to--er--er--
explain. I am Mr. Morton's legal adviser. There is--er--sense of--
er--responsibility,--er--personal responsibility, about the term
"friend," that at the--er--er--present moment I am not--er--
prepared to assume. The substance of the letter is before you. I
am here to--er--express its spirit. I am here (with great
gallantry) to express the--er--yearnings of cousinly affection. I
am aware--er--that OUR conduct,--if I may use the--er--the plural
of advocacy,--I am aware that--er--OUR conduct has not in the past
years been of--er--er--exemplary character. I am aware that the--
er--death of our lamented cousin, your sainted mother, was--er--
hastened--I may--er--say--pre--cip--itated--by our--er--indiscretion
But we are hereto--er--confess judgment--with--er--er--costs.
Miss Mary (interrupting). In other words, your client, my cousin,
having ruined my father, having turned his own widowed relation out
of doors, and sent me, her daughter, among strangers to earn her
bread; having seen my mother sink and die in her struggle to keep
her family from want,--this man now seeks to condone his offences--
pardon me, sir, if I use your own legal phraseology--by offering me
a home; by giving me part of his ill-gotten wealth, the association
of his own hypocritical self, and the company of his shameless,
profligate son--
Starbottle (interrupting).
Pages:
44
45
46
47
48
49
50
51
52
53
54
55
56
57
58
59
60
61
62
63
64
65
66
67
68