I should just
as soon expect to see strawberries growing on a thorn-bush. There
isn't the least resemblance between them."
"You know I have not seen Mrs. Hardwick, so I cannot judge on that
point."
"No great loss," said Jack. "You wouldn't care much about seeing her
again. She is a tall, gaunt, disagreeable looking woman; while Ida
is fair, and sweet looking. I didn't fancy this Mrs. Hardwick when I
first set eyes on her. Aunt Rachel was right, for once."
"What did she think?"
"She took a dislike to her, and declared that it was only a plot to
get possession of Ida; but then, that was what we expected of Aunt
Rachel."
"Still, it seems difficult to imagine any satisfactory motive on the
part of this woman, supposing she is not Ida's mother."
"Mother, or not," returned Jack, "she's got possession of Ida; and,
from all that you say, she is not the best person to bring her up. I
am determined to rescue Ida from this she-dragon. Will you help me,
uncle?"
"You may count upon me, Jack, for all I can do."
"Then," said Jack, with energy, "we shall succeed. I feel sure of
it. 'Where there's a will there's a way,' you know."
CHAPTER XVIII.
FINESSE.
THE next thing to be done by Jack was, of course, in some way to
obtain a clew to the whereabouts of Peg, or Mrs. Hardwick, to use
the name by which he knew her.
Pages:
94
95
96
97
98
99
100
101
102
103
104
105
106
107
108
109
110
111
112
113
114
115
116
117
118