He was very quick upon her with this retort.
‘Ought I to say, after what has happened,’ said his sister, standing by the bed—she had gradually withdrawn herself and risen, ‘that I made that visit? Should I say so? Must I say so?’
‘Good Heavens, Loo,’ returned her brother, ‘you are not in the habit of asking my advice. Say what you like. If you keep it to yourself, I shall keep it to myself. If you disclose it, there’s an end of it.’
It was too dark for either to see the other’s face; but each seemed very attentive, and to consider before speaking.
‘Tom, do you believe the man I gave the money to, is really implicated in this crime?’
‘I don’t know. I don’t see why he shouldn’t be.’
‘He seemed to me an honest man.’
‘Another person may seem to you dishonest, and yet not be so.’ There was a pause, for he had hesitated and stopped.
‘In short,’ resumed Tom, as if he had made up his mind, ‘if you come to that, perhaps I was so far from being altogether in his favour, that I took him outside the door to tell him quietly, that I thought he might consider himself very well off to get such a windfall as he had got from my sister, and that I hoped he would make good use of it. You remember whether I took him out or not. I say nothing against the man; he may be a very good fellow, for anything I know; I hope he is.’
‘Was he offended by what you said?’