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A Simpleton by Charles Reade
page 301 of 528 (57%)
account. He did so, and brought all the papers, thus mutilated, into
the house, and sent them into the kitchen. He said to his old servant,
"These may amuse Mr. Lusignan's people, and I have extracted all that
interests me."

By these means he hoped that none of the servants would go and buy more
of these same papers elsewhere.

Notwithstanding these precautions, he took the nurse apart, and said,
"Now, you are an experienced woman, and to be trusted about an excitable
patient. Mind, I object to any female servant entering Mrs. Staines's
room with gossip. Keep them outside the door for the present, please.
Oh, and nurse, if anything should happen, likely to grieve or to worry
her, it must be kept from her entirely: can I trust you?"

"You may, sir."

"I shall add ten guineas to your fee, if she gets through the month
without a shock or disturbance of any kind."

She stared at him, inquiringly. Then she said,--

"You may rely on me, doctor."

"I feel I may. Still, she alarms me. She looks quiet enough, but she is
very excitable."

Not all these precautions gave Dr. Philip any real sense of security;
still less did they to Mr. Lusignan. He was not a tender father, in
small things, but the idea of actual danger to his only child was
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