Glyn looked at the Doctor, and then at Morris, as he felt that his father was not treating him fairly; but he held his tongue, and then his eyes flashed with satisfaction as Singh gave him a quick look and then spoke out.
“Glyn had nothing to do with it, sir,” he said. “He protested against it, and regularly bullied me for showing this man the belt and lending him money.”
“Ha, ha!” said the Colonel. “Then he fleeced you a little, did he, my boy?”
“Well, yes, sir. I lent or gave him some money, because I thought that he was a poor gentleman. How was I to know that he was not honest, when—when—”
He was about to say “when my teachers were deceived,” but the Colonel checked him.
“There, there, there,” he said; “that’ll do, Singh. You are not the first fellow of your age who has been imposed upon by a needy scoundrel.”
“No,” said the Doctor sharply. “If any one is to blame it is I, who pitied the position of a man out of employment and tried to befriend him. Well, Colonel Severn, I am very sorry; but it is forced upon me. I feel it a duty to you to try and make some recompense.”
“Oh, nonsense!” said the Colonel rather haughtily. “I need no recompense.”
“Indeed, sir,” said the Doctor, “but I am answerable to Mr Singh here for his loss through my want of care and foresight.”
“Oh, pooh, sir! pooh! The belt was not worth much; eh, Singh?”