Part 9 (1/2)
”On a serious charge? I don't ask what it is”
”It wouldof the humiliation,”
Featherstone answered brokenly, and was silent for a ht on his tense face Then he went on with an effort: ”I must tell you what I can Lawrence in a desperate moment injured, I had better call it robbed, a relative of ours The boy had got into difficulties, but hitherto, although he had been a fool, there was a certain generosity in his rashness He was very hard pressed--I have seen that since--but I can ood afterwards,” Foster interposed
”We tried to think so, but it looks as if one can'tdone, or consented to, must be borne Well, when I learned the truth I went to the man my son had robbed and offered to repay hiht to grasp, and sent me away afraid, because I kneas hard and very just”
Featherstone paused, and Foster, who murmured a feords of aard syed to do my duty, but I helped , though he knew After a tiaveas Lawrence stayed away, but must be free to take the proper line if he came back
It's plain now that he knewthem by hard work in Canada At last, when he was very ill, he sent for iven”
”Ah!” said Foster, ”now I understand whatbefore you came,” Featherstone continued ”It was a wonderful relief to know the danger was over, and then you told us horence had grown out of his folly and becoed to see him, our satisfaction was complete Now this letter coain”
Foster was moved by his distress Featherstone was proud and honorable, and it must have cost hiht what he had done then would always trouble him, and after all it had proved useless The worst was that his sensitive uprightness ht make him an easy victim of the unscrupulous adventurer But Foster did not mean him to be victimized
As a rule, he was rather huot up and stood with his hands clenched
”This thing touches us both, sir Lawrence is your son, but he's h, which warrantsyou the best advice I can Very well, you o to Hexhalance He felt dejected and desperate, but Foster looked coly resolute At first he had welcomed him for his son's sake, but had coo; but that doesn't help us; because he'll come here”
”Yes; he must be met But do you kno he came to learn about the matter?”
”I don't, but my relative, as interested in politics and social scheht be the fellow”
”Then it's curious he didn't get on Lawrence's track before Anyway, he must be met with the bluff direct now”
”How can he be bluffed?” Featherstone asked with a hopeless gesture
”He can have ree to his demands”
”He would first have to tell the police all he knew, and as soon as he did this his hold on you would be gone Then they'd ask why he'd kept the secret, which would be reht perhaps take the risk out of malice if he saw you meant to be firm
For all that, you must be firm; you can't buy him off He'd come back later with a fresh demand Would your estate stand the strain?”
”My wife and daughter would make any sacrifice for Lawrence's sake”
”The sacrifice would benefit this bloodsucker, which is a different thing,” Foster rejoined ”Then, even if you i, which would coot In short, he must be bluffed off now”
He sat down and pondered and there was silence for soot dark and he heard the steady patter of the rain He knew he had undertaken a difficult task, and felt daunted because he could not see his way Still, it looked as if the happiness of these char people, and perhaps his partner's future, depended upon him If that were so, he must not fail them
”Well,” he said by and by, ”my opinion is that Daly thinks Lawrence is here, so to speak within his reach, which eo back to Canada and get on his track I'd like to set hi up and down Great Britain There would be so his time and money, but at present I don't see how it could be done
However, we have until to-morrow to think of a plan”
Featherstone left him soon afterwards and he stayed in the library until dinner, which was a melancholy function It was necessary to appear undisturbed while the servants were about, and he envied his friends' fine self-control These people had courage and when they talked carelessly about things of no ih they sohed, their a of tension, and he thought Mrs