“Take care people don’t say the same of you,” warned Medora. “You’re Aunt Polly’s drudge at present, and many people know it quite well and think it a shameful thing at your age—nobody more than Mr. Knox; and when Jordan understands about it, he’ll protest as much as I do.”
But Mrs. Trivett never allowed conversation personal to herself if she could prevent it.
Now she challenged Kellock, who had been very silent, and made him talk.
CHAPTER XX
PHILANDER’S FATE
Medora’s mother found increasing matter for agitation in the attitude of Ned Dingle. She had seen him twice and urged the need of action. She had even offered to give him all her small savings towards the legal cost of the operation. And then he had startled and shocked her a good deal by two statements, neither of which Lydia had expected.
“All in good time,” he had said. “I don’t feel any particular call to hurry myself on their account. Plenty of time when I’ve settled my new job. As to the cost, it would be particular hard if you, of all people, was called to part on such a subject, and I wouldn’t allow it for a moment. But when I do start on to it, my lawyer thinks I can bring a pretty hot case against Kellock for damages; so I dare say I shall knock expenses out of him, and a bit over. And the harder his savings are hit, the better every right thinking person will be pleased.”
So he had spoken, and two days later had disappeared from Ashprington, and left no direction behind him. Where he was gone and whether he would return, none knew. Kellock deplored the delay and Medora bitterly resented it. She was very unhappy and her troubles now occupied her mother’s mind. Mrs. Trivett felt chiefly concerned to approach Ned Dingle again.
“If he’s down Ivybridge way, at the paper mills there, I might go and see him,” she said to Philander Knox in the luncheon hour; but Mr. Knox either could not or would not assist Lydia to find her son-in-law.