“Then you knew about it.”
“I knew about it, lass.”
“And what did you think of me?”
“I expected, perhaps, you’d tell me.”
“I have told you. I will go now.”
“No, sit down a bit—sit down a bit; you look white and shaky. Is it true that you’re very poor?”
“Yes, indeed, auntie and I are very poor. I will say good-bye now. I’m leaving the Wyndhams’ on Thursday. I’m very, very fond of Anne and Grace. I suppose you’ll tell them.”
“No, wench, I won’t tell them; I haven’t told anybody yet, and I won’t tell now. You’ve brought me back the money. You were late in doing it, and I felt very bad about it—very bad about it, and I made up my mind that you should never darken my doors again; but I didn’t tell ’em, I didn’t want you to be injured. You’d best not try this game on a second time, wench; you’d best not try thieving, it leads to no good. You’ve got your own gift, you’re a very beautiful lass, you’ve got a way with you, and you can twist an old man round that little finger of yours; but don’t you try your beauty too far. My mother, she was a Bible woman—she went by the Bible—over and over she used to say: ‘Favour is deceitful, and beauty is vain; but a woman who feareth the Lord she shall be praised.’ She never had a daughter to say it to; she used to say over and over to me: ‘See you serve the Lord, John; see you serve the Lord.’ And now, that’s what I have to say to you. You’ve brought me back the money, and we’ll consider that the debt is wiped out; wiped out, lass; the slate is clean. Good-bye, lass, I’m busy; good-bye.”
He held out his hand to her, she grasped it, tears were brimming into her eyes. Suddenly she stooped and kissed his hand, then she left the room. She walked slowly down the avenue, she got into the little cart and drove back to Preston Manor.
On that day nothing happened at all; the next day passed, and the next. On the evening of the third day Dodd spoke to his wife.