“And what security have you any moment that he won't make a clean sweep of it, and turn you all into the streets?”
“Yes; that's on the cards any day.”
“He must have got through almost everything he had; besides, I never heard his property called six thousand a year, and I 'll swear twelve wouldn't pay his way here.”
“What does he care! His father and he agreed to cut off the entail; and seeing the sort of marriage he made, he 'll not fret much at leaving the boy a beggar.”
“But he likes him; if there's anything in the world he cares for, it's that boy!”
The other must have made some gesture of doubt or dissent, for the doctor quickly added, “No, no, I 'm right about that. It was only yesterday morning he said to me with a shake in the voice there's no mistaking, 'If you can come and tell me, doctor, that he's out of danger, I 'll give you a thousand pounds.'”
“Egad, I think I 'd have done it, even though I might have made a blunder.”
“Ye 're no a doctor, sir, that's plain;” and in the emotion of the moment he spoke the words with a strong Scotch accent.
There was a silence of some minutes, and Hotham said, “That little Frenchwoman and I have no love lost between us, but I 'm glad she cut up so well.”
“They 're strange natures, there 's no denying it They 'll do less from duty and more from impulse than any people in the world, and they 're never thoroughly proud of themselves except when they 're all wrong.”