Some of our former chapters will have shown that Walter Wilson, though sterling in principle, and true-hearted as far as he knew himself, was egotistical, dogmatical, and hard judging. These characteristics showed themselves forcibly and unpleasantly on the preceding evening, when, on his return home, Mary Burgess performed her promise to John Tincroft. It was a disagreeable office she had undertaken, and we may say, in passing, that any one proposing to be a mediator or mediatrix between contending parties should expect no selfish pleasure to spring from the efforts thus made. Miss Burgess had no such expectations, but she did not shrink from the self-imposed task.
At the first mention of Tincroft's name, and of his near vicinity, Walter started to his feet, and would have rushed out then to "have it out," he said (whatever this might mean), "with the miscreant." But he was restrained by the interposition of Ralph, who also persuaded his friend to hear all his sister had to tell.
As Mary went on, describing John's honest, compunctious self-accusation, Walter uttered not a word, but smiled bitterly and contemptuously. But when, with kindling eloquence and womanly sympathy, she spoke of his cousin's unhappy surroundings, and of her guilelessness, notwithstanding the rancour with which she had been slanderously assailed—a guilelessness in which the amiable advocate believed—he rudely interrupted her, and bade her cease dinning him with her pleadings.
"I made Sarah a fair offer the last time I saw her," he said, fiercely. "I told her that if she would confess and apologise—"
"Confess what?—apologise for what?" his friend asked, mildly.
"To having deceived me; for having laid traps for that Tincroft, meaning to turn me off when she had secured her richer prize. That's what I meant, and what I said."
"But knowing that she was not guilty of such baseness, how could she make such a confession and apology? Did she not deny the charge?"
"Deny! What has that to do with it? Deny! Of course she denied it. Oh yes—yes, she could talk fair enough, calling me 'Dear Walter,' and all that sort of thing. But do you think I was going to believe her?"
"But after she denied it, and explained—did she not explain?"
"Oh, to be sure: she was ready enough with her explanations."