"No," replied he—"I'm a friend of your master's. But what I was about to say is, that my name is John Simpson, and that if I can ever be of any service to you, you may apply to me. I've taken a liking to you."
"Thank you, Sir," answered Susan, curtseying as she left the room; "Ah!" thought she, "I should soon lose his favor if he but heard my name."
"I can never be grateful enough for your goodness, Sir," said Mr. Wetherall, when he learned the result of this interview; "and I think, considering my obligations, it would be wrong of me to conceal from you, that the same motive that took the poor woman, above stairs, to the bridge, took me there also."
"Merciful Heavens!" exclaimed Mr. Simpson—"then my opportune midnight walk has been the means of saving three lives!"
Little did he or Mr. Wetherall imagine that Mr. Simpson's effort to save the life of another, had been the means, under Heaven, of saving his own.
