"

"No sum of money," I replied, "unless I was fully assured that it was
all right--that is, had the right on your side. Almost without exception
these cases with women in them, where men become jealous of their
mistresses, mistresses of their men, wives of their husbands, husbands
of their wives, or when the lively and vigorous mother-in-law lends
spice to life, and, indeed, all those troubles arising from social
abuses, are a disgrace to every one connected with them."

Harcout seemed quite disappointed that I did not express more avidity to
transact the business he proffered, but continued in his blandest
manner:

"Still, supposing, although we were not altogether in the right, we were
endeavoring to defend ourselves against a vile woman who had manipulated
circumstances so that she had us greatly in her power?"

"I should still feel a great reluctance in taking the case. All my life
I have had one steady aim before me, and that has been to purify and
ennoble the detective service; and I am sure that all this sort of
business is degrading in the extreme to operatives engaged upon it."

"Very good, very good. But, Mr. Pinkerton, supposing the person pursued
was worth two or three millions of dollars; that after the parties had
met in a casual way, and, through a strange and unexplainable feeling of
admiration mingled with awe which she had compelled in him, she had
acquired a familiarity with his habits, business, and vast wealth, and
had from that time schemingly begun a plan of operations to entrap him
into marrying her, working upon his rather susceptible temperament
through his peculiar religious belief, in order to gain power over him,
and then, failing to secure him as a husband, had for some time pursued
a system of threats and quiet, persistent robbery, constantly becoming
more brazen and impudent, until he could bear it no longer, when he had
refused to see her or submit to further blackmail, whereupon she had
heartlessly attempted his social and financial ruin, by bringing a suit
against him for $100,000 damages for breach of promise of marriage?"

This extended conundrum flushed Harcout, and his magnificent silk
handkerchief came gracefully into use to very gently and delicately
absorb the perspiration that had started upon his porous face.

"Mr. Harcout," I still insisted, "I should then require to be
unqualifiedly assured that the woman in question was not a young woman
who had really been led to b