Part 11 (1/2)
In my suffering I sat rigid and speechless, wincing inwardly at each blow of the lash, when Mr. Blodgett, with a kindness I can never reward or even acknowledge, observed, ”I believe it was his wife's extravagance which made William Maitland a bankrupt and an embezzler. Till his marriage with her he was a man of simple habits and of unquestioned business honesty, but he was caught by her looks, just as Polhemus has been. In those first years he could deny her nothing, and when the disillusionment came he was too deep in to prevent the wreck.”
”You've been revising your views a bit,” retorted Mr. Walton. ”I never expected to hear you justify any of that family.”
”Perhaps I have reason to,” replied Mr. Blodgett.
”I don't believe any of those Maitlands have the least honesty!”
exclaimed Agnes. ”How I hate them!”
”It is not a subject of which I like to speak,” you stated in an evidently controlled voice, still with lowered eyes, ”but it is only right to say that some one--I suppose the son--is beginning to pay back the debt.”
”Pay back the money, Maizie!” e.j.a.c.u.l.a.t.ed Mr. Walton. ”Why haven't you told me of it?”
”It did not seem necessary,” you answered.
”I'm sure it's a trick,” a.s.serted Agnes. ”He's probably trying to worm his way back to your friends.h.i.+p, to get something more out of you.”
”How much”--began Mr. Walton; but you interrupted him there by saying, ”I would rather not talk about it.”
The subject was changed at once, but when we were smoking, Mr. Walton asked, ”Blodgett, do you know anything about that Maitland affair?”
”A little,” replied the host.
”The debt really is being paid?”
”Yes.”
”And you don't know by whom?”
”So Maizie tells me.”
”Has she made no attempt to find out?”
”When the first payment was made she came to me for advice.”
”Well?” asked Mr. Walton eagerly.
”She got it,” declared Mr. Blodgett.
”What did she do?” persisted Mr. Walton.
Mr. Blodgett was silent for a moment, and then responded, ”The exact opposite of what I advised. Do you know, Walton, you and I remind me of the warm-hearted elephant who tried to hatch the ostrich eggs by sitting on them.”
”In what respect?”
”We decided that we must break up Maizie's love of the Maitlands for her own good.”
”Well?”
”Well, we made the whole thing so mean to her that finally we did break something. Then, manlike, we were satisfied. What was it we broke?”