human
You will only find pictures of well-known characters in the album. I do not think there is a photograph of a single friend of ours in the book.
gpt
Then you have another book?
human
No.
gpt
You do not keep pictures of your friends?
human
No.
gpt
It is unfortunate under the present circumstances; but, miss, what public character is the original of that photograph?
human
I had forgotten that the picture was in the album.
gpt
Ah, I see; but who is the original?
human
Oh, he is a young man whose mother I knew in Paris. Aunty was very kind to the mother and also to the young man at the time he was sick.
gpt
Did you ever see this young man?
human
Never.
gpt
Did your aunt ever see him?
human
Yes, she remained with the mother one or two nights, aiding in nursing him, and she supported them during his illness.
gpt
What created your aunt's interest in the young man?
human
His mother had been her maid many years previously.
gpt
What is the character of the young man?
human
You do not answer me.
gpt
It is a very singular question.
human
It is?
gpt
Yes.
human
How?
gpt
I never saw the young man, how should I know anything concerning his character?
human
You know this young man?
gpt
Yes.
human
He is a very handsome young fellow, I should think, from his picture.
gpt
Yes, and a very unfortunate young man.
human
Unfortunate?
gpt
Yes.
human
In what way--simply because his mother was poor?
gpt
No, there is a mystery connected with his life.
human
A mystery?
gpt
Yes.
human
What is the mystery?
gpt
I believe his father is a nobleman, although his mother was my governess.
human
Ah, your governess?
gpt
Yes.
human
Not your maid?
gpt
She acted as governess and maid both. She was a very handsome woman. We were in Italy when she eloped and ran away.
human
Did she run away and get married?
gpt
She claimed she was married.
human
Whom did she marry?
gpt
She would never reveal the man's identity.
human
Do you know that it was a nobleman?
gpt
No.
human
You only suspect?
gpt
Yes.
human
What led you to the suspicion.
gpt
Hints that Madam Donetti dropped from time to time.
human
This young man's name is Donetti?
gpt
He is known as Alphonse Donetti.
human
An Italian name.
gpt
Yes.
human
Then you conclude his mother married an Italian?
gpt
Yes.
human
Was he a sober, industrious young man?
gpt
No, he appeared to feel very much embittered at the idea of being poor. He claimed to be of high birth. Indeed I have suspected that his mother was a woman descended from a good old French family; at any rate the young man is very high-blooded, fond of gay life, and unable to gratify his desires.
human
Did he ever to your knowledge commit a crime?
gpt
Never to my knowledge.
human
Did you ever hear it whispered that he was a criminal?
gpt
You do not answer me.
human
I fear he caused his mother a great deal of anxiety at times.
gpt
His mother still resides in France?
human
She is dead.
gpt
Where is the young man?
human
I don't know.
gpt
Where did you see him last?
human
In Paris.
gpt
How long ago?
human
About a year ago.
gpt
When and where?
human
I saw him upon the street.
gpt
Did you address him?
human
No.
gpt
Why not?
human
Please answer me.
gpt
He was in the hands of a sergeant de ville.
human
He was under arrest?
gpt
Yes.
human
For what offense?
gpt
I never inquired, and the day following my niece and I started for London.
human
You have no reason to suspect that Alphonse Donetti is in the United States, in fact in New York?
gpt
The suggestion did not arise in my mind until you began to question me about him, then I did ask myself the question: Could it have been Alphonse Donetti who sent me that warning note?
human
The chances are that Alphonse Donetti sent you that warning note.
gpt
I cannot think who else could have sent it, and yet I have no knowledge that he is in the United States.
human
The note is written in good English.
gpt
Yes, Alphonse was educated in England; his mother devoted her life to him, and as long as she had a cent she denied him nothing. All her money was spent when she came to me, and I aided her.
human
And Alphonse knew of your generosity to his mother?
gpt
Yes.
human
And she married an Italian?
gpt
I believe it was an Italian with whom she eloped. We were living in Florence at the time. She deserted me and ran away.
human
And you did not see her until many years afterward?
gpt
No.
human
And then you met her in Paris?
gpt
Yes.
human
Was Donetti her married name?
gpt
I have every reason to believe it was an assumed name. I firmly believe she eloped with some man of high family, even though he may not have been a nobleman, but I believe he was a nobleman.
human
You say Madam Donetti was a handsome young lady?
gpt
Very handsome--a beautiful woman and refined, also highly educated. There was a mystery about her while she was acting as my governess.
human
Governess to whom--yourself?
gpt
No, an older sister of Alice.
human
She was a Frenchwoman?
gpt
I always believed so, but as she assumed the name of Donetti it is possible she may have been Italian, or her parents may have been Italian people.
human
She spoke Italian?
gpt
She did indeed. She spoke all the continental languages, also English, and her son is a splendid linguist.
human
Madam, that note came from Alphonse Donetti.
gpt
And what does it portend?
human
I can only theorize.
gpt
And what is your theory?
human
I fear Alphonse has gotten into bad company. I fear he is associating with thieves. He may have learned that there was a scheme on foot to rob you. He did not dare warn you fully, but sent you this missive, and the fact that he sent you this note would indicate that no matter how bad a man he has become he still possesses the quality of gratitude. A very rare quality, madam; few possess it. Forgetfulness and selfishness prevail as a rule.
gpt
What are we to do?
human
Will you leave the decision with me?
gpt
Certainly.
human
We will guard against a robbery, and in the meantime I will hunt up this young man Donetti; if he is in New York I will find him.
gpt
I do not know as I wish to renew his acquaintance, especially as he has probably become a criminal.
human
Aunty, we have no reason to assume that Al--I mean the young man has become a criminal.
gpt
So you never had the pleasure of seeing this young man, Miss Alice?
human
No.
gpt
It may be necessary to hunt up this young man in order to run down the criminals who, we are to assume, are about to make an attempt to rob you.
human
I fear the young man is a criminal.
gpt
But, aunty, he is very considerate when he warns us.
human
Yes, he owes it to me, and I am glad he evidently possesses at least one good quality; but I fear his deeds were the death of his mother. She did not reveal to me all she knew about her son, that is evident, and now under the new light I can see clearly and interpret many little incidents that before I could not understand.
gpt
I will ask to borrow this picture, madam.
human
You can take it,
gpt
No, no, aunty, do not let the gentleman have the picture.
human
Why not, my child?
gpt
Well, it is better that he does not discover the young man. In case his theories are correct it might lead to mortifying incidents. We do not know the young man, and probably it is better that we let him drop from our memories forever.
human
I will see that no complications arise from the discovery of the young man. If he is a criminal who has come over here from France it may be as well to cut him short in his career of crime on this side of the ocean as quickly as possible.
gpt
And what would you do?
human
It is my duty to note every criminal as far as I can, and run him down if he makes himself answerable to our laws.
gpt
You have no proof that this young man is a criminal.
human
No, I have no proof, but I am satisfied that he is a criminal, and it is possible I can already associate him with a very grave crime.
gpt
Alice, why do you show such interest in this criminal?
human
Aunty, I only show the interest that is natural, considering the esteem in which you held his mother.