Part 49 (1/2)
dick'S ACCUSATION
The party in the gun-roolanced at the others curiously and got a sense of strain
dick, looking disturbed but resolute, leaned against the table opposite Mordaunt, whose face was rather white; Bernard occupied the bench by the wall and his look was inscrutable All was very quiet except for the snapping of the stove and the occasional rattle of a cinder falling through the bars It was so of a relief when Jiht
”Sit down, Ji to tell us that he thinks you ought to hear He hints that it is important”
”It is ihed on me for soet rid of it
I want to hand over my responsibility, and you are the head of the house, sir”
”Very well,” said Bernard ”The post has drawbacks You had better go on”
”Then I'll begin soraph shack We talked about England and Ji There was an old French roe He studied the book when Jim left the shack, and I found out afterwards that Franklin Dearhae You see what this ih you did not When did you find out?”
”I picked up the book one day at Langrigg Lance was there He adraph shack”
Jim turned to Mordaunt sharply ”Then, you meant to let me stay in Canada!”
”I did,” said Mordaunt, who addressed Bernard ”I thought it would be better for Jied my views about it since”
”That has been rather obvious,” Bernard re dark?”
”I was afraid to meddle; the matter ard Besides, until recently, I trusted Lance I thought his antagonis from an honest prejudice”
”Perhaps it was honest! Are you willing to state the grounds you had for trying to keep Jirounds would justify his robbing Jim of his inheritance,” Mrs
Halliday interposed
Mordaunt sine my plot is condemned mainly because it failed I did not think Ji His education, character, and the life he had led, did not fit hi like a Canadian industrialist and break all our traditions Right or wrong, I took soht for the honor of the house”
”I am the head of the house and was an industrialist,” said Bernard dryly ”You talk as if you belonged to the old school, but you do not go far enough back The ned to dick ”Go on!”
”When Jim's car was upset I suspected Shanks was somehow accountable for the accident”
”He was accountable,” Jirimly; ”I didn't know you knew this
But one must be just Lance lifted the wheel off my body at soreed ”I think he took advantage of it afterwards; I mean he kneould reenerous iine Lance's character is too complex for your study,” Bernard re since, I was co to Toht the fellow poaching, and I thought it strange they should talk quietly I suspected he wanted ainst Ji worse”
”When did you find Lance talking to Shanks?” Bernard asked, and smiled rather curiously when dick replied, for he remembered his visit to the lawyer Lance had known about the visit