her home in Canada some
five years before. Mdme. Archimbault had spent all the money she had in
her unavailing search for her relative, and she told me, with tears in
her eyes and expressive French gestures, that she would have to sell her
jewelry to pay her board, as she had no way of making a living in a
foreign land. Then I told her part of my story. She was sure her niece
was dead, and so I asked her to be my mother, to let me take her name
and be known as her daughter. I told her I was rich and that I would
care for her as long as our compact was kept and the real truth not
known. My visit to Nice and my meeting with Algernon Hastings, he has no
doubt told you. I did not know he was a lord, but I suspected it. So
much the more reason why he should not marry a nameless waif, a poor
girl with no father or mother and all hope lost of ever finding them. I
came back to America with Mdme. Archimbault, covering my tracks by cross
journeys and waits which he could not anticipate. We landed in Boston."

"I found your names in the Quincy House register," remarked Quincy.

"I don't think I could escape from you as easily as I did from him," she
said, the first faint sign of a smile showing itself upon her face. "I
went to my bankers in Boston and told them that I had been adopted by a
wealthy French lady named Archimbault. I informed them that we were
going to return to France at once. They made up my account, and I found
I was worth nearly one hundred and forty thousand dollars. I took my
fortune in New York drafts, explaining that madame wished to visit
relatives in New York, and that we should sail for France from that
port. I did this so my bankers could not disclose my whereabouts to any
one. We came here, but I could not remain idle. I always had a natural
taste for millinery work, so I proposed to madame that we should open a
store under her name. We did this late in September, and have had great
success since our opening day. Now you know all about me, Mr. Sawyer.
Give me your promise that you will not tell Lord Hastings where I am."

"Then," said Quincy, "you do not know why I am here."

"To keep your word to Lord Hastings, I presume. What other reason could
you have?"

"Then you have not read the Personal Column in the 'New York Herald?'"
Quincy inquired.

"No," said she. "Why should I?"

Quincy took a copy of the paper from his pocket, laid it upon the table
and pointed with his finger to the word "Linda."