Spring Mvc Beginners Guide 1st Edition Amuthan G Amuthan Ganeshan
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- 7. Spring MVC Beginner’s Guide
- 8. Table of Contents Spring MVC Beginner’s Guide Credits About the Author About the Reviewers www.PacktPub.com Support files, eBooks, discount offers, and more Why subscribe? Free access for Packt account holders Preface What this book covers What you need for this book Who this book is for Conventions Time for action – heading What just happened? Pop quiz – heading Have a go hero – heading Reader feedback Customer support Downloading the example code Errata Piracy Questions 1. Configuring a Spring Development Environment Setting up Java Time for action – installing JDK Time for action – setting up environment variables Configuring a build tool Time for action – installing the Maven build tool
- 9. Installing a web server Time for action – installing the Tomcat web server Configuring a development environment Time for action – installing Spring Tool Suite Time for action – configuring Tomcat on STS What just happened? Time for action – configuring Maven on STS Creating our first Spring MVC project Time for action – creating a Spring MVC project in STS What just happened? Spring MVC dependencies Time for action – adding Spring jars to the project What just happened? Time for action – adding Java version properties in pom.xml A jump-start to MVC Time for action – adding a welcome page What just happened? The dispatcher servlet Time for action – configuring the dispatcher servlet What just happened? Deploying our project Time for action – running the project Summary 2. Spring MVC Architecture – Architecting Your Web Store The dispatcher servlet Time for action – examining request mapping What just happened? Pop quiz – request mapping The web application context Time for action – understanding the web application context What just happened?
- 10. Pop quiz – the web application context The web application context configuration Pop quiz – web application context configuration View resolvers Time for action – understanding InternalResourceViewResolver What just happened? Model View Controller An overview of the Spring MVC request flow The web application architecture The domain layer Time for action – creating a domain object What just happened? The persistence layer Time for action – creating a repository object What just happened? The service layer Time for action – creating a service object What just happened? Have a go hero – accessing the product domain object via a service An overview of the web application architecture Have a go hero – listing all our customers Summary 3. Control Your Store with Controllers Defining a controller Time for action – adding class-level request mapping What just happened? Pop quiz – class-level request mapping The role of a controller in Spring MVC Handler mapping Using URI template patterns Time for action – showing products based on category
- 11. What just happened? Pop quiz – request path variable Using matrix variables Time for action – showing the products based on filter What just happened? Understanding request parameters Time for action – adding the product details page What just happened? Pop quiz – the request parameter Time for action – implementing a master detail view What just happened? Have a go hero – adding multiple filters to list products Summary 4. Working with Spring Tag Libraries Serving and processing forms Time for action – serving and processing forms What just happened? Customizing data binding Time for action – whitelisting form fields What just happened? Externalizing text messages Time for action – externalizing messages What just happened? Using Spring Security tags Time for action – adding a login page What just happened? Summary 5. Working with View Resolver Resolving views The redirect view Time for action – examining RedirectView
- 12. What just happened? Pop quiz – redirect view Serving static resources Time for action – serving static resources What just happened? Pop quiz – static view Time for action – adding images to the product detail page What just happened? The multipart request in action Time for action – adding images to the product page What just happened? Have a go hero – uploading product user manuals to the server Using ContentNegotiatingViewResolver Time for action – configuring ContentNegotiatingViewResolver What just happened? Working with the handler exception resolver Time for action – adding the response status exception What just happened? Time for action – adding an exception handler What just happened? Summary 6. Intercept Your Store with Interceptor Working with interceptors Time for action – configuring an interceptor What just happened? Pop quiz – interceptor Internationalization (i18n) Time for action – adding internationalization What just happened? Have a go hero – fully internationalize the product detail page Audit logging
- 13. Time for action – adding the data audit interceptor What just happened? Conditional redirecting Time for action – intercepting offer page requests What just happened? Summary 7. Validate Your Products with a Validator Bean validation Time for action – adding bean validation support What just happened? Have a go hero – adding more validation in the add products page Custom validation with JSR-303 / bean validation Time for action – adding custom validation support What just happened? Have a go hero – adding custom validation to a category Spring validation Time for action – adding Spring validation What just happened? Time for action – combining Spring and bean validations What just happened? Have a go hero – adding Spring validation to the product image Summary 8. Give REST to Your Application with Ajax Introducing REST Time for action – implementing RESTful web services What just happened? Time for action – consuming REST web services What just happened? Handling a web service in Ajax Time for action – consuming REST web services via Ajax What just happened?
- 14. Summary 9. Apache Tiles and Spring Web Flow in Action Working with Spring Web Flow Time for action – implementing the order-processing service What just happened? Time for action – implementing the checkout flow What just happened? Understanding the flow definition Understanding the checkout flow Pop quiz – web flow Time for action – creating views for every view state What just happened? Have a go hero – adding a decision state Enhancing reusability through Apache Tiles Time for action – creating views for every view state What just happened? Pop quiz – Apache Tiles Summary 10. Testing Your Application Unit testing Time for action – unit-testing domain objects What just happened? Have a go hero – adding tests for cart Integration testing with the Spring Test Context framework Time for action – testing the product validator What just happened? Time for action – testing the product controller What just happened? Time for action – testing REST controllers What just happened? Have a go hero – adding tests for the remaining REST methods
- 15. Summary A. Using the Gradle Build Tool Installing Gradle The Gradle build script for your project Understanding the Gradle script B. Pop Quiz Answers Chapter 2, Spring MVC Architecture – Architecting Your Web Store Pop quiz – request mapping Pop quiz – the web application context Pop quiz – web application context configuration Chapter 3, Control Your Store with Controllers Pop quiz – class-level request mapping Pop quiz – request path variable Pop quiz – the request parameter Chapter 5, Working with View Resolver Pop quiz – redirect view Pop quiz – static view Chapter 6, Intercept Your Store with Interceptor Pop quiz – interceptor Chapter 9, Apache Tiles and Spring Web Flow in Action Pop quiz – web flow Pop quiz – Apache Tiles Index
- 17. Spring MVC Beginner’s Guide
- 19. Spring MVC Beginner’s Guide Copyright © 2014 Packt Publishing All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embedded in critical articles or reviews. Every effort has been made in the preparation of this book to ensure the accuracy of the information presented. However, the information contained in this book is sold without warranty, either express or implied. Neither the author, nor Packt Publishing, and its dealers and distributors will be held liable for any damages caused or alleged to be caused directly or indirectly by this book. Packt Publishing has endeavored to provide trademark information about all of the companies and products mentioned in this book by the appropriate use of capitals. However, Packt Publishing cannot guarantee the accuracy of this information. First published: June 2014 Production reference: 1190614 Published by Packt Publishing Ltd. Livery Place 35 Livery Street Birmingham B3 2PB, UK. ISBN 978-1-78328-487-0 www.packtpub.com Cover image by Aniket Sawant (<[email protected]>)
- 21. Credits Author Amuthan G Reviewers Rafał Borowiec Pawan Chopra Rubén Clemente Serna Acquisition Editor Vinay Argekar Content Development Editor Azharuddin Sheikh Technical Editors Monica John Neha Mankare Shiny Poojary Copy Editors Gladson Monteiro Insiya Morbiwala Aditya Nair Stuti Srivastava Project Coordinators Kinjal Bari Wendell Palmer Proofreaders Simran Bhogal Stephen Copestake Maria Gould Ameesha Green Paul Hindle Indexer Hemangini Bari
- 22. Graphics Disha Haria Abhinash Sahu Production Coordinator Aparna Bhagat Cover Work Aparna Bhagat
- 24. About the Author Amuthan G has over six years of experience as a professional software developer. He currently works for a large cloud platform company and has strong product development experience in Java, Spring, JPA, and many other enterprise technologies. In his free time, he enjoys blogging on his site (http://www.madebycode.in). He can be contacted at <[email protected]>. I would like to gratefully and sincerely thank Mr. Vincent Kok for his guidance, understanding, patience, and most importantly, his friendship during my first job at Educator Inc. His mentorship has shaped me to become a well-rounded professional. He encouraged me to not only grow as a developer, but also as an independent thinker. I want to take a moment and express my gratitude to the entire team at Packt Publishing for their patience and cooperation. When I signed up for this book, I really had no idea how things would turn out. I couldn’t have pulled this off without their guidance. I would like to express my gratitude to all my friends and family for providing me with unending encouragement and support. I owe every challenge and accomplishment to all my lovely colleagues who taught me a lot over the years. A special thanks to Divya and Arun for their encouragement, friendship, and support. They were a strong shoulder to lean on in the most difficult times during the writing of this book. Finally, and most importantly, I would like to thank my wife Manju who believes me more than myself. Her support, encouragement, quiet patience, and unwavering love were undeniably the bedrock upon which my life has been built.
- 26. About the Reviewers Rafał Borowiec is an IT specialist with about eight years of commercial experience, specializing in software testing and quality assurance, software development, project management, and team leadership. He currently holds the position of a Team Leader at Goyello, where he is mainly responsible for building and managing teams of professional developers and testers. He is also responsible for maintaining relations with customers and acquiring new ones, mainly through consultancy. He believes in agile project management and is a big fan of technology, especially technology that is Java related (but not limited to it). He likes sharing knowledge about software development and practices through his blog (blog.codeleak.pl) and Twitter account (@kolorobot) and also at internal and external events such as conferences or workshops. Pawan Chopra is an Agile developer with eight years of experience in the software industry. He currently works at Webners (http://www.webnersolutions.com/) on some cool JavaScript, Java, HTML5, Node, and AngularJS projects. He is an open source enthusiast. He loves sharing knowledge through training and blogging. He is also very strong on the server side with vast experience in Spring and Hibernate tools. He blogs at www.itspawan.com. Rubén Clemente Serna is a software engineer by profession with over eight years of experience in software development. He recently moved to the UK and is currently working as a Java Developer at Piksel, a company that creates and manages OTT video solutions for some of the world’s leading media brands. Prior to Piksel, he has worked at GFI Informática in Spain on many Java development projects, mainly for telecom and government service customers. More detailed information about his skills and experience can be found at http://www.linkedin.com/in/rubenclementeserna. He can be contacted at <[email protected]>.
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- 33. Preface This book has a very clear aim: to introduce you to the incredible simplicity and power of Spring MVC. I still remember first learning about the Spring framework back in 2009. The best way to test whether or not you really understand a concept is to try to teach it to someone else. In my case, I have taught Spring MVC to MVC; are you confused? I mean that back in 2009, I taught it to my wife Manju Viswambaran Chandrika (MVC). During that course, I was able to understand the kind of doubts that arise in a beginner’s mind. I have gathered all my teaching knowledge and put it in this book in an elegant way so that it can be understood without confusion. This book follows a theme of developing a simple e-commerce site step-by-step. In every successive chapter, you will learn a new concept of Spring MVC. Obviously, the aim is to teach you how you can use Spring MVC effectively. Developing a full-blown, production- ready e-commerce site is not the purpose of this book.
- 34. What this book covers Chapter 1, Configuring a Spring Development Environment, will give you a quick overview of Spring MVC and its architecture and guide you through detailed notes and step-by-step instructions to set up your development environment. After installing the required prerequisites, you will try out a quick example of how to develop an application with Spring MVC. Although the chapter doesn’t explain all the code in detail, you’ll pick up a few things intuitively. Chapter 2, Spring MVC Architecture – Architecting Your Web Store, will lay down the ground work for the sample application that we are going to build along the way, chapter by chapter. This chapter will introduce you to concepts such as request mapping, web application context, Spring MVC request flow, and the layered architecture of a typical web application. Chapter 3, Control Your Store with Controllers, will take you through the concept of a controller; you will learn more about how to define a controller, and use URI template patterns, matrix variables, and request parameters. Chapter 4, Working with Spring Tag Libraries, will teach you how to use Spring and Spring form tag libraries in web form handling. You will learn how to bind domain objects with views and how to use message bundles to externalize label caption texts. At the end of this chapter, you will see how to add a login form. Chapter 5, Working with View Resolver, will present the inner mechanics of how InternalResourceViewResolver resolves a view and takes you through how to use various view types, such as redirect view and static view. You will also learn about the multipart resolver and content negotiation view resolver. Finally, you will learn how to use exception handler resolvers. Chapter 6, Intercept Your Store with Interceptor, will present the concept of an interceptor to you. You will learn how to leverage the interceptor to handle or transform requests and responses flexibly. This chapter will teach you how to make your web page support internalization with the help of LocaleChangeInterceptor. This chapter also introduces how to perform audit logging in a log file using the interceptor concept. Chapter 7, Validate Your Products with a Validator, will give you an overview of the validation concept. You will learn about bean validation, and you will learn how to perform custom validation along with the standard bean validation. You will also learn about the classic Spring validation and how to combine it with bean validation. Chapter 8, Give REST to Your Application with Ajax, will teach you the basic principles of REST and Ajax. You will learn how to develop an application in RESTful services. The basic concept of HTTP verbs and how they are related to standard CRUD operations will be explained, and you will learn how to fire an Ajax request and handle it from a web page. Chapter 9, Apache Tiles and Spring Web Flow in Action, will teach you how to use the
- 35. Spring web flow to develop workflow-based web pages. You will learn more about states and transitions in web flow and how to define a flow definition. This chapter also teaches you how to decompose a page using Apache tiles. You will also learn more about TileViewResolver and how to define reusable Apache tiles templates. Chapter 10, Testing your Application, will teach you how to leverage the Spring testing capability to test your controllers. You will learn how to load the test context and how to mock the service and repository layers. This chapter also introduces you to the Spring MVC test module and teaches you how to use that. Appendix A, Using the Gradle Build Tool, introduces you to using the Gradle build tool for our sample application. You will learn about the Gradle script that is required to build our project using Gradle build tool.
- 37. What you need for this book To run the examples in the book, the following software will be required: Java SE Development Kit 7u45 or newer Maven 3.1.0 Apache Tomcat 7.0 STS 3.4.0 release (Spring Tool Suite)
- 39. Who this book is for This book is designed to be followed from beginning to end, although those with existing knowledge of Spring MVC will be able to jump in to the later chapters and pick out things that are important to them. You are not expected to be experienced with the Spring framework. Some knowledge of servlet programming and dependency injection will be helpful but not essential. In a nutshell, the book provides clear pictures, illustrations, concepts, and is ideally suited for beginners and intermediate developers.
- 41. Conventions In this book, you will find several headings appearing frequently. To give clear instructions of how to complete a procedure or task, we use:
- 43. Time for action – heading 1. Action 1 2. Action 2 3. Action 3 Instructions often need some extra explanation so that they make sense, so they are followed with:
- 44. What just happened? This heading explains the working of tasks or instructions that you have just completed. You will also find some other learning aids in the book, including:
- 45. Pop quiz – heading These are short multiple-choice questions intended to help you test your own understanding.
- 46. Have a go hero – heading These practical challenges give you ideas for experimenting with what you have learned. You will also find a number of styles of text that distinguish between different kinds of information. Here are some examples of these styles and an explanation of their meaning. Code words in text, database table names, folder names, filenames, file extensions, pathnames, dummy URLs, user input, and Twitter handles are shown as follows: “Once the download is finished, go to the downloaded directory and extract the .zip file into a convenient directory of your choice.” A block of code is set as follows: <body> <section> <div class="jumbotron"> <div class="container"> <h1> ${greeting} </h1> <p> ${tagline} </p> </div> </div> </section> </body> When we wish to draw your attention to a particular part of a code block, the relevant lines or items are set in bold: <servlet> <servlet-name>DefaultServlet</servlet-name> <servlet-class> org.springframework.web.servlet.DispatcherServlet </servlet-class> </servlet> Any command-line input or output is written as follows: C:>mvn -version Apache Maven 3.2.1 (ea8b2b07643dbb1b84b6d16e1f08391b666bc1e9; 2014-02- 14T12:37:52-05:00) Maven home: C:Program Filesapache-maven-3.2.1 Java version: 1.7.0_51, vendor: Oracle Corporation Java home: C:Program FilesJavajdk1.7.0_51jre Default locale: en_SG, platform encoding: Cp1252 OS name: "windows 7", version: "6.1", arch: "amd64", family: "windows" New terms and important words are shown in bold. Words that you see on the screen, in menus or dialog boxes for example, appear in the text like this: “A System Properties window will appear; in this window, select the Advanced tab and click on the Environment Variables button to open the environment variables window.” Note Warnings or important notes appear in a box like this. Tip
- 47. Tips and tricks appear like this.
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- 55. Exploring the Variety of Random Documents with Different Content
- 56. the matter until it all ends in confusion. God was the Artist who made the wonderful machine called man, and he crammed him full of mystery, eccentricities and unaccountable things. Well, Demar, the best way to secure true happiness is to fear God and keep His commandments; and let Him run the machine in his own way. What is, is, and that’s all we know about it. We don’t know the cause of things; and the less we puzzle our brains about it the better for us. But let me tell you, Demar, you ought to worship God day and night, as long as you live. What have you ever done for Him, by way of compensation for what He has done for you? He made Miss Wallingford; she is the paragon of beauty and loveliness—an angel in disposition; and then He made her fall in love with you. That is more than you deserve—more than any sinner deserves.’ “‘I know it, doctor, and I acknowledge my obligation, and have resolved never to forget it.’ “‘Excuse me, Demar, I must now go and see my patient; I will return presently.’ “After Lottie had slept three hours Doctor Plaxico consented for me to go into her room again. “‘I think she will wake very soon,’ said he, ‘and you had better be present then; you must be very cautious and not exhibit any unusual emotion. Remember she is in a critical condition, and the slightest shock might prove fatal, and govern yourself accordingly. At first I thought that probably it would be better to let some one break the news of your arrival to her, before letting her see you; but upon second thought I have concluded to allow you to be present when she awakes. Place yourself near the bed, take hold of her hand, press it gently, and remain very quiet; be sure you do not make any demonstrations when you see her eyes open.’ “This was a hard command, but I made up my mind to obey it, believing, as I did, that it was wisely given. Kneeling down near the bed, I took her left hand in mine, pressing it gently to my lips, when she instantly commenced to roll her head from one side to the other. “‘Let go her hand, quick!’ the doctor whispered. “I obeyed instantly, but was puzzled to know his reasons for giving such an order. Plaxico stood with his finger on his mouth, which I understood to be a command for me to maintain silence. Any one might have heard the
- 57. throbbing of my heart across the room, while every nerve in my body was quivering violently. “‘Now take hold of her hand again, and be careful to remain quiet.’ “The very instant my hand touched hers she again began to tremble; raising her other hand, she commenced to pass it round, as if searching for something, while her lips were continually moving; and every now and then I distinctly heard my name pronounced. I was informed by the doctor that she was under the influence of a very strong opiate, which I suppose accounted for the apparent uneasiness of her slumber. Five minutes, perhaps, had elapsed after I took hold of her hand the second time when she touched my cheek; then running her fingers among my whiskers, she began to pat me on the face. At length her eyes flew open; and after gazing at me for a moment in a bewildered way, she laid her right arm around my neck, drew my head down on the pillow, close to her cheek, and whispered in my ear many sweet expressions of affection. There were no evidences of violent emotion or extravagant outbursts of excitement, but her voice sounded like the cooing of a dove. My face was moistened with the tears that streamed from her eyes; but they were tears of unmixed joy. “‘I thought they had killed my noble-hearted hero,’ she whispered, as she drew her arm closer about my neck. ‘I have been very unjust to my poor brother, but I thought he and Heartsell had murdered you; and you must bring him here, so I can ask him to pardon me. I was with you and my brother on the train last night, and tried to speak to you, but could not make you hear me. Our mother was with me, and she says that she is our guardian angel, commissioned to watch over us—she was such a beautiful angel, too; I never beheld anything so pretty.’ “‘Miss Wallingford,’ said Doctor Plaxico, ‘I think it would be very imprudent for you to talk any more just now.’ “‘I would not venture to disobey a peremptory order of yours, doctor, but I believe that a conversation with Harry and Edward would do me more good now than any medicine you could give me. Let me see my dear brother immediately, and then you may demand silence.’ “‘I had better grant your request than to raise a row by refusing,’ observed the doctor, as he went to bring Wallingford in. “When Harry entered the room, I could see that he was making a vigorous effort to restrain his great emotions; sinking down on the opposite
- 58. side of the bed, he allowed his sister to embrace him. “‘Brother dear,’ whispered Lottie, ‘can you forgive the great wrong I have done by my unjust suspicions against you?’ “‘Ah! my darling sister, it is I who ought to sue for pardon; because if I had heeded your advice, all this sorrow might have been prevented. If you only will get well, and love me in the future as you have in the past, I shall yet be happy. Let us endeavor to eradicate from our memory the sad occurrences of the past; and I solemnly promise never again to set up my judgment against yours.’ “‘Oh, my good brother! how happy you have made me! I soon shall be well again. I thought at one time that I could leave this world without regret; but it is different with me now; I do not want to die, because I have something worth living for.’ “‘Now, Miss Wallingford,’ said Plaxico, ‘I must positively drive these two gentlemen out of the room, unless you will agree to be perfectly quiet.’ “‘I will make any promise, in the bounds of reason, if you will let them remain with me.’ “‘Very well; they may stay, if you will hush.’ “Harry held her right hand and I her left, while I drank deep draughts of love from the dear eyes that were gazing up into my own. Who can describe the inexpressible joy that one feels when he knows himself to be the exclusive owner of such a heart as the one that throbbed in the breast of Lottie Wallingford? It would be extreme folly on my part to attempt to convey to my audience a description of the great happiness I enjoyed then. My heart was almost drowned with the excess of delight.
- 59. CHAPTER XXX. “For three days after Harry and I had arrived at home scarcely any change was perceptible in Lottie’s condition, except an inclination to sleep all the time, which Plaxico contended was most favorable. This conjecture proved correct, for at the end of ten days her condition was so much improved that he pronounced her entirely out of danger. “‘Good nursing is all she needs now,’ said he. “I never left the premises until I was satisfied that all danger was over, and I did not go then of my own accord; Lottie ordered me to go and see Viola, and to carry a hamper basket full of fresh flowers that she had caused to be gathered for her. “‘Tell Viola that as soon as I am able to ride in the carriage I will come to see her. Ask her if she wants anything and tell her that she must be of good cheer, and we will defeat the enemy yet. Now do your best to encourage the poor thing, and assure her that I will soon be with her to stay all the time.’ “‘Lottie, you don’t think of going back to stay in jail again, do you?’ “‘Certainly I do; why not?’ “‘People will talk, you know.’ “‘Let them talk as much as they please. God has spared my life in order that I might save my dear friend, and I mean to do it. Eddie, do you still doubt me? Can you trust me?’ “I did not make any answer, because I was bewildered and did not know what to say; hence I abruptly left the room to carry the flowers and message as directed. “When I entered Viola’s cell I was shocked at her appearance; there was a look of hopeless despair settled on her face, and her cheeks were bloodless and deadly pale. She was dressed in plain black silk without ornaments. Her pale face brightened up when I entered, and she rose to meet me, holding out her hand for me to take. When I delivered the flowers and Lottie’s kind message, telling her that Lottie was out of all danger, she
- 60. burst into tears and sank down on the sofa. After a while she brushed the tears away and said: “‘Pardon me, Mr. Demar; this flow of tears has relieved my aching heart. God has answered my prayers, when I had lost all hope. Oh! sir, if you knew how I have prayed for dear Lottie’s life, you would better understand my love for her. Take a seat, Mr. Demar, and tell me about your late troubles.’ “I complied with her request by giving her a detailed history of the unfortunate occurrences that had kept me away from home. “‘You now know from experience, Mr. Demar, how hard it is to be punished for a crime you did not commit. You have not told me anything about your friends yet.’ “I knew that she wanted to hear from Harry, but I doubted the propriety of mentioning his name, because I did not know what he intended to do. I therefore confined my remarks to Doctor and Mrs. Dodson, and Mr. Rockland and his wife, studiously avoiding Harry’s name. I saw that she was disappointed, and more anxious than ever to hear about him. I rose to depart, when she begged me to stay a while longer. “‘You have not told me about all of your friends yet,’ she said, as she blushed and looked down at the carpet. “I noticed that she was trembling from head to foot, and her bosom rose and fell rapidly. I had arrived at the conclusion that it was best for me not to mention Harry’s name. I thought that the best plan to bring about a reconciliation would be to say nothing on the subject, hoping that she would send an invitation to him to pay her a visit. “‘Is there any one in particular whom you wish to inquire about, Miss Bramlett?’ “‘Yes—no—that is, no one in particular; but I was thinking that Lottie would be so happy to have her brother with her.’ And as she said this, the crimson tinge on her cheeks became as red as blood could make it. “‘Yes, she is very happy now, since her brother has returned.’ “‘Has he? Ah! never mind, Mr. Demar, I will not detain you any longer. Give my love to Lottie, and bring her to see me as soon as she is able to come.’
- 61. “I took her extended hand and felt it quiver; her eyes met mine for a second, and there was a meaning look in them which I understood. I could not leave her thus; my resolution vanished at once. “‘What shall I tell him for you, Miss Bramlett?’ “‘Tell whom?’ “‘Have you no message for me to deliver to any one except Lottie?’ “‘Yes—no; I—I—good-by, Mr. Demar.’ “I passed out of the room and spoke a few words to the jailer, and when I went to leave I glanced a look into Viola’s room. She was lying on the bed convulsed with grief, and weeping bitterly. “I sought and obtained an interview with Mr. Rockland, in order to have a consultation about Miss Bramlett’s case. The iron man shook his head ominously when I asked him to advise me what I should do about the case. “‘The Supreme Court will reverse it,’ said he, ‘beyond question, but that will do no good. It will only serve to prolong our troubles. The lower court committed a very grave error in allowing the jury to disperse before the evidence closed; hence I say it is certain that a new trial will be granted; but again I ask where is the benefit to Miss Bramlett? Every one knows she is guilty—the proof established it beyond the possibility of a reasonable doubt. Poor girl! I pity her, for she was not responsible for the crime. She was crazy, beyond question, when she committed it. She shall not be punished, because I will secure executive clemency when the court shall have finally disposed of her case. Mr. Demar, I have just been informed that it is Lottie’s intention to return to the jail, with a view of remaining with Miss Bramlett, as soon as she is able to go.’ “‘Yes, Mr. Rockland, I have heard Lottie say that such was her intention.’ “‘This must be prevented by all means, and no one can do it but you; I shall expect you to exert your influence in that direction. Her reputation has already suffered to some extent by her conduct, and it must be prevented in future.’ “‘Do you know, Mr. Rockland, that Lottie affirms that she knows Miss Bramlett is innocent?’ “‘Ah, Demar, that is one of her strange infatuations. She is a sensible girl, in whose judgment I have unbounded confidence, but her friendship
- 62. for Miss Bramlett has caused her heart to get the upper hand of her brain. She thinks she knows that her friend is innocent, but what does she know about the rules of evidence? She thinks everything that she hears can be offered as proof.’ “‘I imagine, sir, that you will find Lottie better posted as to the rules of evidence than you think. She has been reading Mr. Greenleaf’s treatise on evidence—also Mr. Starkie’s and many others. She seems to comprehend and grasp the meaning as well as an experienced lawyer would. She says she will furnish evidence to clear Miss Bramlett, and to convict the real criminal.’ “‘Ah! Demar, that is the strangest mystery that has ever come under my observation. If she knew that Miss Bramlett was innocent, why should she let her remain in jail, when she could have got her out with a habeas corpus? No, Demar, if you build your hopes on that foundation, you will meet with nothing but defeat and disappointment.’ “‘The reasons which Lottie gives for withholding the proof appear to me to be good. She says that she is waiting to collect evidence sufficient to convict the guilty one; and that this is done at the request of Miss Bramlett.’ “‘Very well, Demar, I see that you are determined to pin your faith to Lottie’s skirts. The truth of it is, love has got the upper hand of your judgment, while Lottie is carried away by her affection for Miss Bramlett. I admire those who stick to their friends, but we ought to be very cautious in selecting them. Next week the Supreme Court will take up the case, and then a new trial will be granted, certain, and you and Lottie shall have a fair chance to establish the defendant’s innocence if you can.’ “When I left the iron lawyer, I was chilled to the very marrow of my bones by the coldness of his manner. “About eight days after my arrival at home, I was called from Lottie’s side (where most of my time was being spent) to assist Doctor Dodson in performing a difficult surgical operation on one of his patients. In fact, I performed the operation myself under Doctor Dodson’s advice and assistance. “‘Ah, ha! my boy,’ said the old doctor, when the delicate job was finished, ‘you are an excellent surgeon, so you are. I am proud of you—so I am. You will do to tie to; ah, ha! that you will. Lottie need not be afraid to hitch on to you, my boy; no indeed, you will make a living for her; yes, yes,
- 63. ah, ha! she won’t starve by marrying you. You must remain with this patient day and night until all danger is over. Ah, ha! my boy, stick to it like a leech; I’ll relieve you day after to-morrow.’ “By this means I was kept away from Lottie two days and nights, much against my wish; but I stood to my post until I was relieved on the third morning by Doctor Dodson. I hurried to Mr. Rockland’s residence and met his wife at the door. “‘How is Lottie?’ I hurriedly inquired, as I entered the house. “‘Improving rapidly, though I don’t think she is quite as prudent as she ought to be.’ “‘Can I see her now?’ “‘No, Edward, she is asleep, I believe; but come in to breakfast, and then you can see her.’ “I obeyed reluctantly, because I did not feel like eating. As soon as breakfast was over Mrs. Rockland went into Lottie’s room to inform her that I was waiting to see her. “‘She will receive you, Edward,’ said the kind lady, as she came into the parlor where I was waiting. ‘She bid me tell you to come in.’ “The door of Lottie’s room was half open when I entered; and the bed, where I expected to see her, was made up and covered with a snow-white counterpane; every article of furniture was freshly dusted and properly arranged; two large vases of fresh flowers stood on the mantel, and the room contained no evidences of an occupant. “‘Ah! she has moved to her old room up-stairs!’ I exclaimed, as I turned to go out, when I felt some one pluck my hair behind. Imagine my amazement, if you can, when I hurriedly turned round and saw nothing but an empty room, where I had expected to see Lottie. I had not remained there, however, but a second or two, when I heard a suppressed laugh; and looking behind the door, I discovered my darling in full dress—beautiful, radiant, charming and lovely,—with a mischievous smile playing on her face. Never had I seen her looking so beautiful before; the color of the rose and lily were mingled on her fair cheeks, while evidences of restored health appeared. Her toilet had been arranged with great care and exquisite taste, evidently done to please me, for I had sent word that I was coming to see her that morning. She wore a most magnificent rose-pink brocade silk dress, with full train; the body and skirts were covered with point de Venice lace,
- 64. while the bodice fitted the slender waist so neatly that her square shoulders and tall, queenly form exhibited their beauty to great advantage. My picture, incased in a heavy gold locket, was suspended by a costly chain around her neck, and my diamond ring sparkled on her finger. The great rolls of pretty golden curls had been half confined behind her head with a blue ribbon, while a fresh white rose, bordered on all sides with pink geraniums, adorned her throat. As soon as my eyes encountered the lovely creature before me I threw up my bands with an exclamation of surprise. When I left her, two days previous, she was in bed, where I had expected to find her still; but when I beheld her beautiful form standing before me, with all the loveliness and beauty of an angel, I was dazzled and overwhelmed with amazement. I was not able to understand how such a speedy recovery had been effected. The pretty blue eyes had regained all their charming brilliancy and the stately form its beauteous symmetry; in fact, my darling had never before appeared so lovely in my eyes as she did then. “‘Why, Eddie!’ she exclaimed, as I took her in my arms, ‘where have you been hiding all this time? I declare, if you play me another such a dodge, I will set the police on your track!’ “‘Don’t ask me any questions now, Lottie; I am too happy to talk. Let me look at you well; you are so pretty to-day; I never saw you looking so lovely!’ “‘I never felt better in my life—am as strong as ever. I was up early this morning, dressed myself without assistance, made up my bed, re-arranged the furniture, and am now ready for breakfast. And such an appetite as I have—it is like that of a wolf! You were surprised to see me up and dressed; you admire my appearance; well, I am glad you do. You shall not see me eat breakfast; I should be ashamed to let you see how much I can devour. Go order the carriage while I am eating; I am going to see Viola this morning. Why don’t you go along, Eddie? What are you waiting for?’ “‘Don’t you know?’ “‘I have a very strong suspicion; very well, I suppose I must be kind to the old darling, since he has been so true to, and suffered so much for me. Take it quickly and go, for I am starving. There! there! Eddie, go along with you; don’t you see how you have torn my hair down? I declare, you have almost smothered me; you are like a Russian bear.’
- 65. “She dodged under my arm, and went into the dining-room. I went out and ordered the coachman to get the carriage ready, then came back to the parlor and waited for Lottie. “‘Well, Eddie,’ she said, as she entered the parlor and took a seat on the sofa by my side, ‘I have devoured everything on the table, and, like Oliver Twist, I wanted more, but mother closed down on me, and even refused to let me eat the cold scraps that were left in the cupboard.’ “‘I fear you are imprudent, Lottie,’ said I, ‘but I am truly glad to know that you have an appetite.’ “‘Thank you, Eddie; but now I must ask you to talk business with me a while. We must lay aside all selfish thoughts, and go to work on Viola’s case. You must not talk to me about love or marriage; I request you to promise me here and now that you will devote your whole attention to this business, and that you will not mention love to me until Viola’s innocence shall be established. Will you or will you not do it?’ “‘I promise to obey you in all things, under all circumstances; but what is to be my fate if we fail to clear Viola? “Would you then refuse to marry me?’ “‘Yes, I would, though it would break my heart to do it; but I love you too well to make you the husband of a miserable, unhappy woman, such as I would be if Viola is not cleared. But I tell you candidly that we shall all be happy yet, if you will trust me implicitly. I must have your entire confidence; there must be no doubting or hesitating in this business. Again I ask you, will you trust me in all things connected with this business?’ “‘So help me Heaven, I swear I will!’ “‘Enough; I ask no more. Read that letter carefully while I re-arrange my hair, and then I will tell you what you are to do.’ “‘Lottie, tell me where you got this letter.’ “‘Ask me no questions, but trust me implicitly. I will not submit to a cross-examination, mind you.’ “‘Very good; issue your orders, and I will obey. Nothing can astonish me after looking at this letter.’ “‘That is a mere mole-hill, by a mountain, when compared with other things that I know.’
- 66. “‘Lottie, this letter means death; it smells of blood; it is as black as the deepest hell!’ “‘Hush! don’t become excited; coolness and courage will accomplish more than anger or excitement. The time has come to shake up the dry bones in the valley; God has spared me in order to make me His instrument in saving the innocent and punishing the guilty.’ “‘Lottie, I do believe you are aided in this business by inspiration directly sent to you from Heaven.’ “‘Perhaps so, and perhaps not; but Viola’s day of deliverance is near at hand; and the day of retribution for the real murderer is drawing near. Society has condemned me for associating with Viola—the purest, best, most patient, suffering angel that ever lived. I will make society blush with shame for its cruelty in this case.’ “‘Lottie, pardon me for using strong language; but I think the circumstances justify it; therefore, I say that the writer of that letter ought to be roasted in the hottest flames of ——’ “‘Stop! stop! don’t use such language as that; it does no good. We must move cautiously, as we have a wily foe to deal with. We must have a witness in court to prove that handwriting; and that is why I have shown you that letter. There is a woman in this city by whom we can make the proof—provided we can force her to swear the truth. She is a friend to the writer, and would suffer martyrdom before she would tell anything that would injure him if she knew it; but if you will execute a little plan which I have invented, I will answer for the result.’ “‘Explain the plan, and issue orders. I trust you now with more faith than an Arab would the author of the Koran. Consider me a machine made to do your bidding.’ “‘I like that kind of talk now, because everything depends on you and me.’ “‘More especially on you, Lottie. You are the pilot, and I am only the engine.’ “‘We will not dispute about that; but you must have an interview with a certain woman, with a view of proving the handwriting of that letter. You are acquainted with Miss Clattermouth, I believe?’
- 67. “‘To the best of my knowledge and belief, I should say I was; but I would not like to confess it in public.’ “‘I don’t blame you for that, because there is not much honor in it; but it is a fortunate thing that you do know her, for it will aid you in this business. I want you to go and see her; take this letter with you; and I charge you under no circumstances to let her see the contents; but you will manage to show her the superscription, and by that means ascertain whether or not she knows who wrote it. Remember, she is a devoted friend of the writer, and if she suspects your object, your labor is lost. You must invent some plan to direct her attention to the letter, and she will probably ask you where you got it. Then you can ask her if she knows the handwriting; do you think you can manage the business so as to accomplish the purpose without rousing her suspicions?’ “‘Lottie, you have asked me to trust you, and I am going to do it. Now I ask you to trust me; will you do it?’ “‘That I will, with all the faith that is in me; and without intending to flatter you, I would risk my soul’s future happiness on your judgment and integrity.’ “‘Thank you! thank you, darling! enough on that branch of the subject. Let us now discuss another. Shall we let Harry into our secrets and ask his assistance?’ “‘No, indeed, we must not, because his love for Viola would cause his heart to control his brain, and endanger our plans. He has quieted down since his late troubles, and it is better to let him alone. The breach between him and Viola will heal itself when she is cleared.’ “‘Be it so, then; you are the judge.’ “‘You must not lose sight of our Vicksburg witness; it would be advisable to write to him immediately. That evidence I consider the most important of all.’ “‘I must confess I cannot see its application to Viola’s case; but you may depend on me for having the witness here when the trial comes on.’ “‘You shall be posted as to its application in due time. There are two individuals in this city who are mounted on very high horses, riding to their fate. They are enjoying the ride just now, unconscious of the precipice toward which they are hastening. They are reveling in their fancied security, little dreaming of the mine soon to be sprung under their feet.’
- 68. “‘One of them is the writer of this letter—the other the one to whom it was directed. Am I not correct in that guess, Lottie?’ “‘You are correct.’ “‘Well, if anybody but my darling had told me this, I would not have believed a word of it. This business is going to cause some people’s fine castles to come toppling topsy-turvey down; and great will be the fall thereof.’ “‘It won’t be the first instance where a man was hung on the gallows he had built for another. You may have heard of a man who erected a gallows fifty cubits high, on which he intended to hang his neighbor; but the spectators were no doubt surprised, one morning, when they saw the body of the builder dangling from his own gallows.’ “‘Yes, that was a case in which God seems to have directly interfered.’ “‘Just so; and he has directly interfered in Viola’s case, too.’ “‘Lottie, I am dying with curiosity to know how you got possession of that letter.’ “‘You shall know everything that I know; but not at present. I have a reason for withholding the information just now, which I cannot explain. Remember you have promised to trust me fully in this matter.’ “‘Yes, and I mean to do it; but the very sight of this letter freezes the warm blood in my veins. I feel cold rigors stealing over me now. It is horrible to contemplate. It surpasses my comprehension. It would make Satan blush to read this most diabolical composition. He would be inclined to abdicate in favor of the author of that letter, as the one best qualified to run the infernal government.’ “‘Hush! that is wicked language. Go see if the carriage is ready, while I get my hat and cloak. You will first go with me to the jail; leave me with Viola; go and see Miss Clattermouth about the proof as to the handwriting; then return to the jail, remain with us to dinner, and bring me home at night. There, now, you have the programme for the day, and remember, you must sharpen your wits before you tackle Miss Clattermouth. She is a clever little detective herself, and will get the best of you if you don’t be careful.’ “‘If she gets the upper hand of me in this business, you may has take off both of my ears.’
- 69. “‘Come! I see the carriage is waiting for us. Don’t take my arm—that is out of style now.’
- 70. CHAPTER XXXI. “I escorted Lottie to the jail, and when she and Miss Bramlett rushed into each other’s arms, I was so deeply moved by the affectionate meeting of those two devoted friends that I felt the tears begin to trickle down my cheeks. For full five minutes they remained silently clasped in each other’s strong embrace. “‘Heaven bless you, my precious, true, unselfish friend!’ exclaimed Miss Bramlett, still holding Lottie to her heart; ‘God has answered my prayers, for on my knees I have spent four hours every day in sending up my supplications in behalf of my darling Lottie. I am one of those who have unlimited confidence in the goodness and mercy of God, and believe He answers the prayers of those who ask in the spirit of true faith. Every time I knelt down to pray for the recovery of my darling friend, I thought of that precious promise which our dear Saviour made with His own lips, when He said: “Ask and it shall be given you; seek and ye shall find; knock and it shall be opened unto you. For every one that asketh, receiveth; and he that seeketh, findeth; and to him that knocketh, it shall be opened.” Now, Lottie, when I prayed, I did honestly believe that our dear Jesus would remember His precious promise; and sure enough He has. Oh, dear God, receive my humble, but sincere, thanks for this great blessing!’ “Lottie then came to me, smiling through her tears and looking supremely happy. “‘You may go to see Miss Clattermouth now, Edward; and you must not fail to return here punctually at four o’clock, for I am going to order another one of those cozy dinners, to be served in Viola’s room; therefore you must not keep us waiting. Remember the instructions, and let no consideration or circumstance prevent the success of our enterprise, which you know to be of such great importance.’ “Pressing her hand to my lips, and promising to put in my appearance punctually at four o’clock, I jumped into the carriage and ordered the coachman to drive to the residence of Miss Clattermouth. As the vehicle went rumbling over the rough road, I began to reflect on the business before
- 71. me, with a view of arranging my plans so as to be ready to act promptly at the proper time. “The carriage halted in front of the house before any definite scheme was arranged in my mind. Walking up to the door, I gave the bell a vigorous pull, and a moment after I heard the slamming of innumerable doors, and then the front one flew open, and there appeared a living creature. It would be a misnomer to say it was a woman; yet it was not a man or monkey; and not being a believer in witches, I am at a loss to describe the horrible looking object that stood with glaring eyes riveted on me. Miss Cushman’s representation of the Gypsy in ‘Guy Mannering’ would be a fairy when compared with the hideous object who darkened that door. I ran back eight or ten paces, while an involuntary shudder darted through my body. I did not smell brimstone, see fire, or hear thunder, but the same feelings of horror seized upon me that I had experienced once upon a time when I went to see the infernal regions in a museum. This she-demon (a name I think most proper to give her) held out her long bony arm toward me, and began to work her claw-like fingers as if she wanted to grab me. “‘What do ye stand there for, staring at a body like an idiot?’ she growled; ‘are ye dumb? Can’t ye tell what ye want?’ “‘I wish to see Miss Clattermouth,’ I stammered with no little difficulty. “‘Get along with ye to Tadpoddle’s then!’ and the door was closed with a slam, and I felt very much relieved. I was pleased to learn that I should find Miss Clattermouth and Miss Tadpoddle together, as I imagined that this circumstance would facilitate the important business which I was so anxious to transact. I lost no time, you may be sure, in leaping into the carriage, and as I did so, I gave the coachman instructions to hasten to the Tadpoddle mansion. I found the front hall door open when I arrived, and being well acquainted with the premises, I immediately and without ceremony passed through the hall, and made my appearance at the door of Miss Tadpoddle’s boudoir, which I also found standing wide open. As I entered the house my ears were pierced with a succession of the most doleful and heart-rending cries that I had ever heard. Miss Tadpoddle was lying on the sofa in the middle of the room, and her mother was bathing her temples with some sort of liquid, while Miss Clattermouth was holding a smelling bottle to her nose.
- 72. “‘Oh, mother! how can I live when my sweet, precious little darling is dead? Oh, ho! ho! ho! it will kill me, I know it will! Every time I shut my eyes I can see the pretty little darling in his tiny coffin, wrapped in his little ruffled shroud, with his sweet little eyes closed just as if he was asleep. Oh, ho! ho! ho! shall I never see him again in this world? Oh, mother, let me die! I do not want to live now, since my little angel is gone from me forever. He loved me so much, and was such a comfort to me—he was always crying after me when I was away from him.’ “My heart was deeply moved to hear the poor lady’s sorrowful lamentations, and it was with some difficulty that I restrained my tears. I began to look round for a little coffin, but it was not there. I then cast a glance up and down the hall, expecting to see an empty baby carriage or tenantless crib, but I saw them not. No little baby shoes or baby frocks were in sight; no baby hats; no broken toys, or any article such as pleases little boys, were to be seen. That a boy baby was dead I concluded was certain, for I heard her speak of his little coffin, and his little shroud. Now what does it all mean? was a question which naturally presented itself to my mind. Who is the little angel that has been taken back to Heaven? Ah, I have it now! She has adopted some sweet little orphan child, and just as she began to love it dearly, the little darling has laid down and died. “‘I beg pardon, ladies,’ said I, as I bowed to Miss Clattermouth, ‘I did not know that death had entered this house, else I should not have intruded.’ “‘Oh! doctor,’ exclaimed Miss Tadpoddle, wringing her hands and tossing her head from side to side, as if suffering untold anguish, ‘I am so glad you have come; do pray put me to sleep as soon as you can, for my poor heart is forever crushed—I never shall survive this awful calamity. Ah! doctor, my poor little darling is taken from me, and no one will ever love me as he did; he was always crying to get in my lap; for Heaven’s sake give me a sleeping drug; I don’t care what it is; anything to make me forget this melancholy dispensation of Providence. Oh, me! it is more than I can bear —to think that I never shall see poor little Tottie any more; it will be the death of me; I know it will!’ “Now I was perfectly amazed when I heard Tottie’s name mentioned, for the whole mystery was then cleared up. All this nonsense was produced by the death of an eight-ounce poodle dog; and I hastened to a pitcher of water, poured out a glass and pretended to get strangled, so I might have a chance
- 73. to conceal the mirth that was about to precipitate me into a fit of laughter. I was compelled to walk out into the hall, in order to gain time to get control of myself, as I did not wish to appear rude. Miss Tadpoddle seemed to be growing worse all the time, and continued to implore me for a sleeping drug; and I concluded that it was best to make a show of compassion, which I did, but not without a considerable effort. I requested Miss Clattermouth to procure me a spoonful of flour, and while she went after it, I took out my medicines and scattered them about on the top of a bureau that stood in one corner of the room; and as I was thinking more about the proof which I wanted to make by Miss Clattermouth than anything else, I took out the letter and laid it down among the medicines, where I knew she could see it when she brought the flour. My mind was wrought up to a high pitch of anxiety; because I had been led by Lottie to believe that the fate of Miss Bramlett depended entirely on the success or failure of my enterprise. Consequently, an unusual degree of excitement seized upon me when I saw her eyes fixed on the letter as she handed me the flour. I felt my heart thumping violently in my breast, while I held my breath and tried to assume a careless air, as I began to finger my drugs. There was a large mirror swinging on the top of the bureau, which enabled me to watch Miss Clattermouth without letting her know what I was up to; and I could see that her little round eyes were intently fixed on the letter, while an expression of curiosity mantled her face. I felt my knees knocking against each other, and my whole frame began to shake from the intense anxiety that possessed me. When Banquo’s ghost ‘shook its gory locks’ at Macbeth, at the banquet, he did not tremble more than I did on that important occasion. “‘Oh, doctor!’ exclaimed Miss Tadpoddle, ‘are you going to let me die? Why don’t you put me to sleep? Are you going to save my life or not?’ “‘My dear madame, I beg you to command a little patience—you shall soon be relieved; it is our duty to submit humbly to the decrees of Providence.’ “‘Yes! yes! I know it is, doctor, but those who never felt the heavy hand of affliction laid upon them, as it is now laid on poor me, cannot understand or appreciate the awful calamity.’ “I hastily prepared three wheat dough pills, and persuaded her to swallow them, assuring her that they would put her to sleep in a very short
- 74. while; and in less than five minutes she declared that she felt a great deal better. “‘Ah! doctor, you are such a good physician; you seem to comprehend the nature of one’s complaint at a glance. Now you know I never exaggerate; there is nothing I despise more than I do exaggeration; still I do believe my nervous system is completely destroyed; but if anybody can restore my shattered system, you are the man to do it. I declare, I begin to feel drowsy now. Oh, what a relief! Just run your hand through my hair and over my throbbing temples. Oh, that is delicious! indeed it is! You do not know how much good it is doing me!’ “At the end of twenty minutes from the time I administered my pills Miss Tadpoddle was happy in the arms of Morpheus, probably dreaming sweetly about poodle dogs. Now, my friends, I wish to say that, as a practicing physician, I am able to recommend wheat dough pills as an infallible remedy for hysterics—especially when that dangerous disease is caused by the death of poodle dogs. “As soon as I had succeeded in silencing Miss Tadpoddle, I turned my attention to Miss Clattermouth and the important letter, on which I noticed she every now and then cast an inquiring look. I was waiting for her to propound the question, which I inferred from her restlessness she was on the eve of doing. After eying the letter for some time, she picked it up and, after scrutinizing it carefully, when she imagined I was not observing her movements (for I was watching her through the mirror by a side glance), she turned her back toward me, and began to slip the letter out of the envelope. I knew that it would not do to allow her to see the contents of the letter; therefore, as soon as I divined her object, I went to the bureau, pretending to be collecting my scattered medicines, where she could see that I was in a position to observe her actions. “‘Did you drop this letter here, doctor?’ she carelessly observed, as I came round so as to confront her. “‘Yes, I believe I did; I must have dropped it when I took out my pocket case a while ago.’ “‘I should like to know what you are doing with that letter, Doctor Demar? I see that it was not addressed to you.’ “I was considerably puzzled by this question, because I did not know what sort of an answer I ought to make; but it occurred to my mind that it
- 75. would be advisable to rouse her curiosity still higher if I could. Having made up my mind to act on that idea, I carelessly observed that there was a great secret connected with that letter, which I did not consider myself at liberty to reveal. “‘Now I should like very much to know what great secret Ben Bowles could have to communicate to that woman?’ “‘Why do you mention Mr. Bowles’ name in connection with that letter, Miss Clattermouth?’ “‘Oh, that is a great secret, which I do not consider myself at liberty to reveal,’ she said in a tantalizing tone, which convinced me that she was piqued because I had mentioned a secret. ‘It is a mystery to me,’ she continued, ‘why Mr. Bowles should constitute you as his messenger, to carry his letters to that woman!’ “‘What has Ben Bowles got to do with it?’ “‘I hope, Doctor Demar, that you do not consider me an idiot?’ “‘Indeed, madame, I do not; but on the contrary, I have set you down in my mind as one of the cleverest ladies in Memphis; but what has that to do with the question I propounded to you?’ “‘Do you imagine that I do not know who wrote that letter?’ “‘Why should I take the trouble to imagine anything about it?’ “‘You are a real Yankee; you answer my questions by propounding others. We will let the subject drop unless you can make a candid answer to a simple question.’ “‘I crave your pardon, madame, and promise to furnish a direct answer to all your questions, provided you will agree to do the same with my interrogatories.’ “‘Very good! I consent to the agreement. Where did you get that letter?’ “Now I was completely nonplussed by that question, and entirely thrown off my guard, and did not know what answer to make. I began to stammer and halt; and despite all my efforts to invent a suitable answer, I made an absolute failure; my confusion proved to be the very lever that enabled me to pry the secret out of its hiding-place. When Miss Clattermouth saw my great confusion, her curiosity went up to the highest pitch, and she exclaimed:
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