"Am I, indeed? Nice words to use to your future relative."
"How do you know I will ever be your relative. Suppose I refuse Hale's demand, and let him proceed on this check?"
Basil's cigarette dropped our of his hand. "I don't know what check you mean," he declared with alarm, "there was a bill—I couldn't help myself. My aunt—"
"Gave you a lot of money and you repaid her by forging her name. But you also forged Hale's name."
"Ah, I know what you mean now. It was only for fifty pounds."
"Had it been for fifty pence the crime is the same," said Mallow vehemently, "why did you not let me help you? I offered to. But you preferred to commit a crime."
"Such a fuss to make," muttered the youth discontentedly, "the bill is in the possession of Juliet, and no steps can be taken on that. If mother accepts this six thousand a year, she will buy the check back from Hale. He's a scoundrel and will do anything for money. Then you can marry Juliet, and I can go abroad for a few years on an income of three thousand. Mother will allow me that."
The coolness of this speech almost took Mallow's breath away. The man did not seem to be at all affected by his crime. So long as he was not found out he appeared to think nothing about the matter. "And I know you will marry Juliet," proceeded Basil, "you love her too well to give her up."
"That is true enough," said Cuthbert, who, having already spared him too long, now determined to punish him, "but I may love her so well that I may not wish to buy her."
"What do you mean by buying her?" demanded Basil sulkily.