The lady entered, on this invitation, and when seated in Mrs. Claire"s little parlour, related that while walking through Washington Square, she noticed the child she had brought home, crying bitterly. On asking her as to the cause of her distress, she said that she wanted f.a.n.n.y: and then ran away to some distance along the walks, searching for her lost companion. The lady"s interest being excited, she followed and persuaded the child to tell her where she lived. After remaining some time longer in the square, vainly searching for f.a.n.n.y, she was induced to let the lady take her home. After hearing this relation, Mrs.
Claire said to Edith, in as calm a voice as she could a.s.sume, in order that the child might think without the confusion of mind consequent upon excitement--
"Where is f.a.n.n.y, dear?"
"She went with the lady to buy some candies," replied the child.
"What lady?" asked the mother.
"The lady who took us to the square."
"The lady who took you to the square?" said the mother, repeating the child"s words from the very surprise they occasioned.
"Yes, mamma," was the simple response.
"What lady was it?"
"I don"t know. She met us as we were coming home from school, and asked us to go down and walk in the square. She knew f.a.n.n.y."
"How do you know, dear?" disked Mrs. Claire.
"Oh, she called her f.a.n.n.y; and said what a nice big girl she was growing to be."
"And so you went down to the square with her?"
"Yes, ma"am."
"And what then?"
"We walked about there for a little while, and then the lady told me to wait while she took f.a.n.n.y to the candy-store to buy some candy. I waited, and waited ever so long; but she didn"t come back; and then I cried."
The meaning of all this, poor Mrs. Claire understood but too well.
With what a shock it fell upon her. She asked no further question.
What need was there? Edie"s artless story made every thing clear.
f.a.n.n.y had been enticed away by some one employed by Jasper, and was now in his possession! With pale face and quivering lips, she sat bending over Edie, silent for several moments. Then recollecting herself, she said to the lady---
"I thank you, ma"am, most sincerely, for the trouble you have taken in bringing home my little girl. This is a most distressing affair. The other child has, evidently, been enticed away."
"You will take immediate steps for her recovery," said the lady.
"Oh, yes. I expect my husband home, now, every moment."
While she was yet speaking, Claire came in. Seeing the white face of his wife, he exclaimed--
"Mercy, Edith! What has happened?"
Edith could only murmur the word "f.a.n.n.y," as she started forward, and buried her face, sobbing, on his bosom.
"f.a.n.n.y! What of her? Oh, Edith! speak!"
The agitation of the wife was, for the time, too overpowering to admit of words, and so Claire turned to the lady and said, hurriedly--
"Will you tell me, madam, what has happened?"
"It appears, sir," she replied, "that a strange lady enticed the children to Washington Square, on their way from school"--
"And then carried off our dear, dear f.a.n.n.y!" sobbed out Edith.
"Carried off f.a.n.n.y!" exclaimed Claire.
"This lady," said Edith, growing calmer, "found our little Edie crying, in the square, and brought her home. Edie says the lady took them down there, and then told her to wait until she went with f.a.n.n.y to buy some candies. They went, but did not return."
The meaning of all this was quite as clear to the mind of Edward Claire as it was to his wife. He understood, likewise, that this was the work of Jasper, and that f.a.n.n.y was now in his possession. What was to be done?
"Our first step," said Claire, after the stranger had retired, "must be to ascertain, if possible, whether what we believe to be true in regard to f.a.n.n.y is really true. We must know certainly, whether she be really in the hands of Mr. Jasper."
"Where else can she be?" asked Edith, a new fear throwing its quick flash into her face.
"We, naturally," replied her husband, "take it for granted that Mr.
Jasper has put his threat into execution. There is a bare possibility that such is not the case; and we must not rest until we have, on this point, the most absolute certainty."
"For what other purpose could she have been enticed away?" said Mrs.
Claire, her face again blanching to a deadly paleness.
"We know nothing certain, Edith; and while this is the case, we cannot but feel a double anxiety. But, I must not linger here. Be as calm as possible, my dear wife, in this painful trial. I will go at once to Mr. Jasper, and learn from him whether he has the child."
"Go quickly, Edward," said Edith. "Oh! it will be such a relief to have a certainty; to know even that she is in his hands."
Without further remark, Claire left his house and hurried off to the store of Jasper. The merchant was not there. From one of his clerks he learned his present residence, which happened not to be far distant.
Thither he went, and, on asking to see him, was told by the servant that he was not at home. He then inquired for Mrs. Jasper, who, on being summoned, met him in one of the parlours. The manner of Claire was very much agitated, and he said, with an abruptness that evidently disconcerted the lady--
"Good evening, madam! My name is Claire. You remember me, of course?"
The lady bowed coldly, and with a frown on her brow.
"Is little f.a.n.n.y Elder here?" was asked, and with even greater abruptness.
"f.a.n.n.y Elder? No! Why do you ask that question?"
There was something so positive in the denial of Mrs. Jasper, that Claire felt her words as truth.
"Not here?" said he, catching his breath in a gasping manner. "Not here?"
"I said that she was not here," was the reply.
"Oh, where then is she, madam?" exclaimed the young man, evincing great distress.
"How should I know? Is she not in your possession? What is the meaning of this, Mr. Claire?"
The lady spoke sternly, and with the air of one both offended and irritated.