d, I take leave to say
that I WILL mention that gentleman's name. Ay, ay,' he added, seeming
to catch with his quick ear the very motion of her hand, 'but not aloud.
With your leave, ma'am, I desire the favour of a whisper.'

She moved towards him, and stooped down. He muttered a word in her
ear; and, wringing her hands, she paced up and down the room like one
distracted. The blind man, with perfect composure, produced his bottle
again, mixed another glassful; put it up as before; and, drinking from
time to time, followed her with his face in silence.

'You are slow in conversation, widow,' he said after a time, pausing in
his draught. 'We shall have to talk before your son.'

'What would you have me do?' she answered. 'What do you want?'

'We are poor, widow, we are poor,' he retorted, stretching out his right
hand, and rubbing his thumb upon its palm.

'Poor!' she cried. 'And what am I?'

'Comparisons are odious,' said the blind man. 'I don't know, I don't
care. I say that we are poor. My friend's circumstances are indifferent,
and so are mine. We must have our rights, widow, or we must be bought
off. But you know that, as well as I, so where is the use of talking?'

She still walked wildly to and fro. At length, stopping abruptly before
him, she said:

'Is he near here?'

'He is. Close at hand.'

'Then I am lost!'

'Not lost, widow,' said the blind man, calmly; 'only found. Shall I call
him?'

'Not for the world,' she answered, with a shudder.

'Very good,' he replied, crossing his legs again, for he had made as
though he would rise and walk to the door. 'As you please, widow. His
presence is not necessary that I know of. But both he and I must live;
to live, we must eat and drink; to eat and drink, we must have money:--I
say no more.'

'Do you know how pinched and destitute I am?' she retorted. 'I do not
think you do, or can. If you had eyes, and could look around you on this
poor place, you would have pity on me. Oh! let your heart be softened by
your own affliction, friend, and have some sympathy with mine.'

The blind man snapped his fingers as he answered:

'--Beside the question, ma'am, beside the question. I have the softest
heart in the world, but I can't live upon it. Many a gentleman lives
well upon a soft head, who would find a heart of the same quality a very
great drawback. Listen to me. This is a matter of business, with which
sympathies and sentiments have nothing to do. As a mutual