The rector trembled with a growing dread.
“First, tell me what Barnby said to you, and what you said to him, about those checks that you got from your father. You must have given Barnby an entirely erroneous impression.”
“It is about those checks I am going to speak. When you have heard me, condemn me if you like, but don’t ruin us utterly. That is all I ask. Don’t ruin us.”
“Be more explicit. You are talking in riddles. Everybody seems to be conspiring to hide something from me. What is it? What has happened? What did Dick do before he went away? Did he do anything at all? Have you hidden something from me?”
“John, the checks I got from father, with which we paid our debts to stave off disgrace, were—forgeries.”
“Lord help us, Mary! Do you mean that we have been handling stolen money?” 152
“Don’t put it like that, John, don’t! I can’t bear it.”
“And is it true what they’re saying about Dick? Oh! it’s horrible. I’ll not believe it of our boy.”
“There is no need to believe it, John. He is innocent, though they condemn him. Yet, the checks were forgeries.”
“Then, who? You got the checks, didn’t you? I thought—Ah!”