He hesitated, saying: "If I take the money, you may never again see a farthing of it."
"In that case, I'll take my pay in abusing you," I replied.
"Do you believe he would, Frances?" asked George, turning to my cousin.
Then continuing thoughtfully:
"It is strange that I should have found such a friend at the bottom of a quarrel, all because I allowed him to abuse me. Truly forbearance is a profitable virtue. The 'other cheek' is the better of the two."
Upon my insistence, he accepted the gold and gave me the ten guineas he had borrowed from Lilly, asking me to return them.
Frances was making an entire failure of her effort to hold herself in check, and George was having difficulty in restraining himself, so, to bring the interview to an end, he gave me his hand, saying:—
"Thank you, Ned, and good-by. I wish I could hope ever to see you again, but if Le Grand fails me, I shall go to the new world and lose myself in the Canadian woods."
"No, no!" cried Frances, imploringly.
"I hope not," began George, but he could not finish, so he took Frances in his arms for a moment, and when he released her, thrust us both out the door, saying: "Please leave me at once. If you do not, I fear I shall never let her go. Take care of her, Ned. Good-by!"
The door closed on us, and when Frances had put on her vizard, she followed me upstairs to see Betty.