"How can it be helped?" said he. "It is time to
resume your courage. Your duty to yourself and to me requires you to
subdue this unreasonable grief." He spoke frequently in this strain, but all he said seemed to have
little influence in pacifying the lady. At length, however, her sobs
began to lessen in vehemence and frequency. He exhorted her to seek for
some repose. Apparently she prepared to comply, and conversation was,
for a few minutes, intermitted. I could not but advert to the possibility that some occasion to examine
the closet, in which I was immured, might occur. I knew not in what
manner to demean myself if this should take place. I had no option at
present. By withdrawing myself from view I had lost the privilege of an
upright deportment. Yet the thought of spending the night in this spot
was not to be endured. Gradually I began to view the project of bursting from the closet, and
trusting to the energy of truth and of an artless tale, with more
complacency. More than once my hand was placed upon the bolt, but
withdrawn by a sudden faltering of resolution. When one attempt failed,
I recurred once more to such reflections as were adapted to renew my
purpose. I preconcerted the address which I should use. I resolved to be
perfectly explicit; to withhold no particular of my adventures from the
moment of my arrival. My description must necessarily suit some person
within their knowledge. All I should want was liberty to depart; but, if
this were not allowed, I might at least hope to escape any ill
treatment, and to be confronted with my betrayer. In that case I did not
fear to make him the attester of my innocence. Influenced by these considerations, I once more touched the lock. At
that moment the lady shrieked, and exclaimed, "Good God! What is here?" An interesting conversation ensued. The object that excited her
astonishment was the child. I collected from what passed that the
discovery was wholly unexpected by her. Her husband acted as if equally
unaware of this event. He joined in all her exclamations of wonder and
all her wild conjectures. When these were somewhat exhausted, he
artfully insinuated the propriety of bestowing care upon the little
foundling. I now found that her grief had been occasioned by the recent
loss of her own offspring. She was, for some time, averse to her
husband's proposal, but at length was persuaded to take the babe to her
bosom and give it nourishment. This incident had diverted my mind from its favourite project, and
filled me with speculations on the nature of the scene. One explication
was obvious, that the husband was the parent of this child, and had used
this singular expedient to procure for it the maternal protection of his
wife. It would soon claim from her all the fondness which she
entertained for her own progeny. No suspicion probably had yet, or would
hereafter, occur with regard to its true parent. If her character be
distinguished by the usual attributes of women, the knowledge of this
truth may convert her love into hatred. I reflected with amazement on
the slightness of that thread by which human passions are led from their
true direction. With no less amazement did I remark the complexity of
incidents by which I had been empowered to communicate to her this
truth. How baseless are the structures of falsehood, which we build in
opposition to the system of eternal nature! If I should escape
undetected from this recess, it will be true that I never saw the face
of either of these persons, and yet I am acquainted with the most secret
transaction of their lives. My own situation was now more critical than before. The lights were
extinguished, and the parties had sought repose. To issue from the
closet now would be imminently dangerous. My councils were again at a
stand and my designs frustrated. Meanwhile the persons did not drop
their discourse, and I thought myself justified in listening. Many facts
of the most secret and momentous nature were alluded to. Some allusions
were unintelligible. To others I was able to affix a plausible meaning,
and some were palpable enough. Every word that was uttered on that
occasion is indelibly imprinted on my memory. Perhaps the singularity of
my circumstances, and my previous ignorance of what was passing in the
world, contributed to render me a greedy listener. Most that was said I
shall overlook; but one part of the conversation it will be necessary to
repeat. A large company had assembled that evening at their house. They
criticized the character and manners of several. At last the husband
said, "What think you of the nabob? Especially when he talked about
riches? How artfully he encourages the notion of his poverty! Yet not a
soul believes him. I cannot for my part account for that scheme of his. I half suspect that his wealth flows from a bad source, since he is so
studious of concealing it." "Perhaps, after all," said the lady, "you are mistaken as to his
wealth." "Impossible," exclaimed the other. "Mark how he lives. Have I not seen
his bank-account? His deposits, since he has been here, amount to no
less than half a million." "Heaven grant that it be so!" said the lady, with a sigh. "I shall think
with less aversion of your scheme. If poor Tom's fortune be made, and he
not the worse, or but little the worse on that account, I shall think it
on the whole best." "That," replied he, "is what reconciles me to the scheme. To him thirty
thousand are nothing." "But will he not suspect you of some hand in it?" "How can he? Will I not appear to lose as well as himself? Tom is my
brother, but who can be supposed to answer for a brother's integrity? but he cannot suspect either of us. Nothing less than a miracle can
bring our plot to light. Besides, this man is not what he ought to be. He will, some time or other, come out to be a grand impostor. He makes
money by other arts than bargain and sale. He has found his way, by some
means, to the Portuguese treasury." Here the conversation took a new direction, and, after some time, the
silence of sleep ensued. Who, thought I, is this nabob who counts his dollars by half-millions,
and on whom it seems as if some fraud was intended to be practised? Amidst their wariness and subtlety, how little are they aware that their
conversation has been overheard! By means as inscrutable as those which
conducted me hither, I may hereafter be enabled to profit by this
detection of a plot. But, meanwhile, what was I to do? How was I to
effect my escape from this perilous asylum? After much reflection, it occurred to me that to gain the street without
exciting their notice was not utterly impossible. Sleep does not
commonly end of itself, unless at a certain period. What impediments
were there between me and liberty which I could not remove, and remove
with so much caution as to escape notice? Motion and sound inevitably go
together; but every sound is not attended to. The doors of the closet
and the chamber did not creak upon their hinges.