“As far as I am concerned there has been swindling, and there is swindling going on now.”
“But you do not answer my question. Do you bring any accusation against me? If so, I agree with you that you had better go to your lawyer.”
“I think that is what I shall do.”
“Very well. But upon the whole, I never heard of a more unreasonable man, or of one whose thoughts are more unjust than yours. Solely with the view of assisting you, and solely at your request, I spoke to Sowerby about these money transactions of yours. Then at his request, which originated out of your request, he using me as his ambassador to you, as you had used me as yours to him, I wrote and spoke to you. And now this is the upshot.”
“I bring no accusation against you, Robarts; but I know you have dealings with this man. You have told me so yourself.”
“Yes, at his request to accommodate him, I have put my name to a bill.”
“Only to one?”
“Only to one; and then to that same renewed, or not exactly to that same, but to one which stands for it. The first was for four hundred pounds; the last for five hundred.”
“All which you will have to make good, and the world will of course tell you that you have paid that price for this stall at Barchester.”
This was terrible to be borne. He had heard much lately which had frightened and scared him, but nothing so terrible as this; nothing which so stunned him, or conveyed to his mind so frightful a reality of misery and ruin. He made no immediate answer, but standing on the hearthrug with his back to the fire, looked up the whole length of the room. Hitherto his eyes had been fixed upon Lord Lufton’s face, but now it seemed to him as though he had but little more to do with Lord Lufton. Lord Lufton and Lord Lufton’s mother were neither now to be counted among those who wished him well. Upon whom indeed could he now count, except that wife of his bosom upon whom he was bringing all this wretchedness?