He spied a
danger: if he irritated her, he would get nothing out of her!
"My girl," he said, changing his tone, "I believe you know
nothing about the ring; I was only teasing you."
Mary could not help a sigh of relief, and her eyes fell, for she
felt them beginning to fill. She could not have believed that the
judgment of such a man would ever be of consequence to her. But
the unity of the race is a thing that can not be broken.
Now, although Mr. Redmain was by no means so sure of her
innocence as he had pretended, he did at least wish and hope to
find her innocent--from no regard for her, but because there was
another he would be more glad to find concerned in the ugly
affair.
"Mrs. Redmain," he went on, "would have me hand you over to the
police; but I won't. You may go home when you please, and you
need fear nothing."
He had the house where the Helmers lodged already watched, and
knew this much, that some one was ill there, and that the doctor
came almost every day.
"I certainly shall fear nothing," said Mary, not quite trusting
him; "my fate is in God's hands."
"We know all about that," said Mr. Redmain; "I'm up to most
dodges. But look here, my girl: it wouldn't be prudent in me,
lest there should be such a personage as you have just mentioned,
to be hard upon any of my fellow-creatures: I am one day pretty
sure to be in misfortune myself.
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