That estimable lady, flushed, excited, and prepared for desperate deeds, no sooner saw Jabez, as she presumed, espouse his sister’s side, than with a terrific effort she became suddenly calm.
Smoothing her ruffled finery and assuming a delicately sarcastic tone, she thus delivered herself:
‘I’ll go, Mr. Duck—I don’t want to be pushed out; but I shall call again—not to see you, sir. I shall instruct Messrs. Grigg and Limpet to commence two actions at once, one for breach of promise against you, Mr. Duck, and one for deformation of character against you, Miss Duck; which you, ma’am,’ she added, turning to Miss Jackson, ‘will be a witness as this person have said vile and ojus things about me.’
‘Oh,’ moaned Miss Jackson, ‘don’t make me a witness! Oh, I would rather cut my right hand off than let it go into a court of justice against my dearest friend!’
‘Don’t be a fool, Carry!’ said Miss Duck curtly. ‘Jabez, show that old woman out, or I’ll go to the firm. I won’t be insulted by a servant any longer.’
Jabez had adroitly got Mrs. Turvey out of earshot, so that Georgina’s last arrow missed its mark.
He was some minutes before he returned. In the interests of peace he apologized to Mrs. Turvey, said his sister was to blame, and vowed on his honour to behave like a gentleman if Mrs. Turvey would only give him time.
Mrs. Turvey allowed herself to be mollified so far as Jabez was concerned, but departed vowing the fiercest vengeance against his ‘stuck-up minx of a sister.’
Georgina, when she had given her brother a thorough setting down over the Turvey incident, informed him of the visit of the police and the discovery of the Smiths’ real character.
Jabez for a time refused to believe it, but the evidence which his sister produced was circumstantial. Already his employers had discovered the forgery of which they had been the victims, and Jabez connected the two events.