assured that no prejudice against yourself clouds my judgment in
reference to her whom you believe to be your grandchild, to commence, and
I trust to conclude forever, the subject which twice brought you within
these walls. On the night of your recent arrival here, you gave this
copy of a French woman's declaration, to the effect that two infants had
been placed out with her to nurse; that one of them was my poor
daughter's infant, who was about to be taken away from her; that the
other was confided to her by its parent, a French lady, whom she speaks
of as a very liberal and distinguished person, but whose name is not
stated in the paper."

WAIFE.--"The confession describes that lady as an artiste; distinguished
artiste is the expression-viz., a professional person--a painter--an
actress--a singer--or--"

DARRELL (drily).--"An opera-dancer! I understand the French word
perfectly. And I presume the name is not mentioned in the document, from
motives of delicacy; the child of a distinguished French artiste is not
necessarily born in wedlock. But this lady was very grateful to the
nurse for the care shown to her infant, who was very sickly; and promised
to take the nurse, and the nurse's husband also, into her service. The
nurse states that she herself was very poor; that the lady's offer
appeared to her like a permanent provision; that the life of this
artiste's infant was of the utmost value to her--the life of my poor
daughter's child of comparative insignificance. But the infant of the
artiste died, and the nurse's husband put it into his wife's head to tell
your son (then a widower, and who had seen so little of his child as to
be easily deceived), that it was his infant who died. The nurse shortly
afterwards removed to Paris, taking with her to the artiste's house the
child who in reality was my daughter's."