the helpless dead. He could not gain from her any more satisfactory
information than the landlady had already imparted, as to her friends and
prospects; but she permitted him passively to look among the effects her
father had left, save only that, if his hand touched something that
seemed to her associations especially holy, she waved him back, or drew
it quickly away. There were many bills receipted in the name of Captain
Digby, old yellow faded music-scores for the flute, extracts of Parts
from Prompt Books, gay parts of lively comedies, in which heroes have so
noble a contempt for money,--fit heroes for a Sheridan and a Farquhar;
close by these were several pawnbroker's tickets; and, not arrayed
smoothly, but crumpled up, as if with an indignant nervous clutch of the
helpless hands, some two or three letters. He asked Helen's permission
to glance at these, for they might afford a clew to friends. Helen gave
the permission by a silent bend of the head. The letters, however, were
but short and freezing answers from what appeared to be distant
connections or former friends, or persons to whom the deceased had
applied for some situation. They were all very disheartening in their
tone. Leonard next endeavoured to refresh Helen's memory as to the name
of the nobleman which had been last on her father's lips; but there he
failed wholly. For it may be remembered that Lord L'Estrange, when he
pressed his loan on Mr. Digby, and subsequently told that gentleman to
address him at Mr. Egerton's, had, from a natural delicacy, sent the
child on, that she might not witness the charity bestowed on the father;
and Helen said truly that Mr. Digby had sunk latterly into an habitual
silence on all his affairs. She might have heard her father mention the
name, but she had not treasured it up; all she could say was, that she
should know the stranger again if she met him, and his dog too. Seeing
that the child had grown calm, Leonard was then going to leave the room,
in order to confer with the hostess, when she rose suddenly, though
noiselessly, and put her little hand in his, as if to detain him. She