Part 2 (1/2)
The old hed, and looked at him with deep commiseration
”If our separation must indeed be final,” said he, at last, ”I will take care that you shall suffer no loss You shall have your full share of the capital”
”I leave that entirely to you,” said Brandon
”Fortunately our business is not much scattered A settlee it so that you shall not have any loss Our balance-sheet was made out only last month, and it showed our firm to be worth thirty thousand pounds Half of this is yours, and--”
”Half!” interrupted the other ”My dear friend, you mean a quarter”
The old man waved his hand
”I said half, and I mean half”
”I will never consent”
”You must”
”Never”
”You shall Why, think of the petty business that I was doing when you came here I orth about four thousand You have built up the business to its present dimensions Do you suppose that I don't know?”
”I can not allow you to make such a sacrifice,” said Brandon
”Stop,” said Mr Compton ”I have not said all I attach a condition to this which I implore you not to refuse Listen to me, and you will then be able to see”
Mr Compton rose and looked carefully out into the office There was no one near He then returned, locked the door, and drawing his chair close to Brandon, began, in a low voice:
”You have your secrets and I haveto tell to you, not merely for the sake of syoing to tell you who I am, and why I came out here
”My name is not Compton It is Henry Lawton All my early life was passed at York There I married, had a son, and lived happily for years--in fact, during the childhood of ar, that led to all ed him too much It was natural He was our only child, and so we ruined hiot beyond our control at last and used to run about the streets of York I did what I could to save him, but it was too late
”He went on froot in with a set ofthe worst in the country My God! to think how my boy, once a sweet child, could have fallen so low But he eak, and easily led, and so he went on froo into particulars,” said the oldpause ”I will coot in with theseyou, and I did not see hilary took place Three were arrested A these tere old offenders, hardened in vice, the one nas, the other Crocker; the third was my unhappy boy”
The old man was silent for souilty: but Briggs turned King's Evidence, and Crocker and my son were condemned to transportation There was no help
”I sold out all I had in the world, and in compliance with the entreaties of rief, I caed an a business out here, and as et permission to hire out as a servant I took him nominally as my servant, for no one knew that he was ain
”I hoped that the bitter lesson which he had learned would prove beneficial, but I did not know the strength of evil inclinations As long as his term of imprisonment lasted he was content and behaved well; but at last, when the three years were up, he began to grow restive
Crocker was freed at about the saain under his evil influence This lasted for about a year, when, at last, one one to India My poor as again nearly distracted She thought of nothing but her boy She ain So ent to India After a long search I found him there, as I had feared, in connection with his old, vicious associates True, they had changed their na to pass for honest s called himself Potts”
”Potts,” cried Brandon
”Yes,” said the other, as too absorbed in his own thoughts to notice the surprise of Brandon ”He was in the employ of Colonel Despard, at Calcutta, and enjoyed much of his confidence”