A Simpleton by Charles Reade
page 300 of 528 (56%)
page 300 of 528 (56%)
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way, or his manner would rouse her suspicions. He consented readily to
that, and indeed left all to Dr. Philip. Dr. Philip trusted nobody; not even his own confidential servant. He allowed no journal to come into the house without passing through his hands, and he read them all before he would let any other soul in the house see them. He asked Rosa to let him be her secretary and open her letters, giving as a pretext that it would be as well she should have no small worries or trouble just now. "Why," said she, "I was never so well able to bear them. It must be a great thing to put me out now. I am so happy, and live in the future. Well, dear uncle, you can if you like--what does it matter?--only there must be one exception: my own Christie's letters, you know." "Of course," said he, wincing inwardly. The very next day came a letter of condolence from Miss Lucas. Dr. Philip intercepted it, and locked it up, to be shown her at a more fitting time. But how could he hope to keep so public a thing as this from entering the house in one of a hundred newspapers? He went into Gravesend, and searched all the newspapers, to see what he had to contend with. To his horror, he found it in several dailies and weeklies, and in two illustrated papers. He sat aghast at the difficulty and the danger. The best thing he could think of was to buy them all, and cut out the |
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