"You do me proud, sir; but I would much prefer to keep my own tongue;
for should it come to the ear of madam that her secret is a secret no
longer, I fear it may prove an injury to my professional duties."

"Remember that I have said, sir, you do not leave this house until you
have given me an account of your strange conduct; but in doing thus, if
I find you undeserving of censure, it shall be no sacrifice to your
reputation. I will pledge myself that you lose nothing."

"Since you are determined, sir, I will make a clean breast of it," said
the Signor, dashing several pieces of gold upon the floor,--"there, sir,
is indeed the root of all evil! that gold was placed in my hands by a
woman, who would make me a tool for the carrying out of designs, which I
have not the heart to perform."

"Well."

"Madam, for some cause, has an under current of thought, which does not
appear to be in keeping with the more open sentiments of this family;
for that amount of gold she connived with me to express such sentiments
toward Miss Grosvenor, as should fire you with a belief of her
inconstancy, and an attachment for myself. It was some time before I
could be bought with gold, but she, doubling the amount, I at last
yielded to what, thank God, I have not had strength to perform. Had it
been other than Miss Grosvenor whom I was to injure, I tremble for my
weakness in resisting so great a temptation; but she reminds me too
strongly of the tear which I have seen in my mother's eye, when she
prayed for her baby boy. No, sir, thrice that paltry amount should not
tempt me now to such degradation!"