Sure, she's the perfect little lady! Hardly a day
passes--or a week, anyhow--that she doesn't drop in to see how the ould
man's gettin' on."
"Humph! Well, see that you don't tell her about me."
Mrs. Moriarty held up both hands in righteous protestation. SHE tell?
Might the tongue of her wither between her teeth before it let slip a
word, and so on. Captain Elisha waved her to silence.
"All right! all right!" he exclaimed. "So long! Take good care of your
husband, and, and--for Heaven's sake, walk careful and don't step on any
of the children."
Mrs. Moriarty's tongue did not wither; at all events, it was lively
enough when he next met her. The captain's secret was not divulged, and
he continued his visits to the flat, taking care, however, to ascertain
his niece's whereabouts beforehand. It was not altogether a desire to
avoid making his charitable deeds public which influenced him. He had a
habit of not letting his right hand know what his left was about in
such cases, and he detested a Pharisaical philanthropist. But there
was another reason why Caroline must not learn of his interest in the
Moriartys. If she did learn it, she would believe him to be helping them
on his own responsibility; or, if not, that he was using money belonging
to the estate.
Pages:
156
157
158
159
160
161
162
163
164
165
166
167
168
169
170
171
172
173
174
175
176
177
178
179
180