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Rufus lifted one wiry yellow forefinger, in a state of perpendicular protest. "He cannot stop the marriage," the sagacious New Englander admitted; "but he can stop the money, my son. Find out how you stand with him before another day is over your head." "I can't go to him this evening." said Amelius; "he dines out." "Where is he now?" "At his place of business." "Fix him at his place of business.
"You shall never go back again to that dreadful life," Amelius interposed. "Never speak of it, never think of it any more. Oh, don't look at me like that!" She was listening with an expression of pain, and with both her hands lifted to her head. There was something so wonderful in the idea which he had suggested to her, that her mind was not able to take it all in at once.
"Don't suppose I'm going to break out again as I did this morning," he went on; "I'm too wretched and too anxious to be angry. Only tell me, Rufus, have you said anything to her ?" Rufus held up his hand. "I see what you're driving at. It will be more to the purpose to tell you what she said to me. From first to last, Amelius, I spoke kindly to her, and I did her justice.
"Well, you see, he has a high idea of your family, and he thought you were rich people. And I know you didn't mean it, Amelius but, still, you did disappoint him." Amelius dropped her arm. This mildly-persistent defence of Mr. Farnaby exasperated him. "Perhaps I have disappointed you?" he said. "Oh, no, no! Oh, how cruel you are!"
There was an interval of silence. She never moved; she still looked into fire looked, as if all her past life was pictured there in the burning coals. "Do you despise me?" she asked at last, very quietly. "As God hears me, I am only sorry for you!" Amelius answered. Another woman would have melted into tears. This woman still looked into the fire and that was all.
Farnaby's character would yield, if Amelius could announce that he had the promise of an appointment under Government with the powerful influence of a near relation to accelerate his promotion.
He stepped into the hall, and spoke to the servant. The man had his message ready. Miss Regina would see Mr. Goldenheart, if he would be so good as to wait in the dinning-room. Regina appeared, pale and scared; her eyes inflamed with weeping. "Oh, Amelius, can you tell me what this dreadful misfortune means? Why has she left us? When she sent for you yesterday, what did she say?"
With one piece, she measured Simple Sally's height, and with the other she took the slender girth of the girl's waist while Amelius opened his writing-desk, and supplied himself with the last sum of spare money that he possessed. He had just closed the desk again, when the voice of the merciless landlady was heard, calling imperatively for Maria.
A few yards down the passage there was a second door, with a man on the watch by it. "There's a nice to-do downstairs," the man announced, recognizing the sergeant, and unlocking the door with a key which he took from his pocket. "The landlord at the Dairy knows his lodgers, sir," Morcross whispered to Amelius; "the place is kept like a prison."
"How's the sore place on your head, Jacob?" the policeman inquired. "This is a civil boy," he explained to Amelius, "and I like to encourage him." "I'm getting better, sir, as fast as I can," said the boy. "Good night, Jacob." "Good night, sir." The trap-door fell and the lodging-house disappeared like the vision of a frightful dream.
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