shouldhavenoalternativebuttopartthemcruellybyrevealingthetruth。\"Theletterendedwithsomecomplimentaryexpressionsaddressedtomyself。Andthequestionwas：howoughtItoanswerit？
Mycorrespondenthadstronglyimpressedmeinhisfavor；Icouldnotdoubtthathewasanhonorableman。ButtheinterestoftheMinisterinkeepinghisownbenevolentactionsecurefromtheriskofdiscovery——increasedasthatinterestwasbythefilialrelationsofthetwochildrentowardhim，nowpubliclyestablished——had，asIcouldnotdoubt，theparamountclaimonme。Theabsolutelysafecoursetotakewastoadmitnoone，friendorstranger，toourconfidence。Ireplied，expressingsincereadmirationofMr。Dunboyne’smotives，andmerelyinforminghimthatthechildwasalreadyprovidedfor。
Afterthat，IheardnomoreoftheIrishgentleman。
ItisperhapshardlynecessarytoaddthatIkepttheMinisterinignoranceofmycorrespondencewithMr。Dunboyne。Iwastoowellacquaintedwithmyfriend’ssensitiveandself—tormentingnaturetolethimknowthatarelativeofthemurderesswasliving，andwasawarethatshehadleftachild。
Alasteventremainstoberelated，beforeIclosethesepages。