She told the boys of her visit to Mr. Welford, which was the first they had heard of it, and was much surprised to find that Phil had not received a letter from the banker entirely exonerating him from the charges that had been made.
“He ought to have written to you right away!” said Helen, indignantly; “to tell you that he had found out that the things he had said about you were not true. He was quick enough to write when he had fault to find.”
Phil was very much comforted by Helen’s account of her visit to Mr. Welford. He did not think much would come of it, but it pleased him to know he had some one to speak for him.
“I am ever so much obliged to you and your mother,” he said; “but I think Mr. Welford won’t be in any hurry to say he was mistaken. These people don’t believe you when you go to them and tell them the plain truth.”
And then, to prove his position, he gave Helen a full account of all that had recently happened.
Helen was much affected by what Phil told her. She was already so much incensed against Emile Touron that she could find little more to say about him except that he was the most wicked person she knew of, and that he certainly ought to be put in prison. Her grief at the probable sale of Hyson Hall was very great.
“To think of this beautiful place being taken away from your family,” she said, “and given to those horrible French people! It is too dreadful! If my father were rich I would get him to come and buy the place, and then your uncle could buy it back whenever he chose.”
“I was thinking of that myself,” said Chap; “but father couldn’t do it. There isn’t anybody about here who could bid against those Tourons. They are rich people, and they want this place.”
“But isn’t there any way of raising money?” asked Helen, anxiously.
“Yes,” said Chap, “there is a way, and the thing ought to have been done long ago. That wreck down there——”