"For Anthony's sake," she said imploringly. "What would I not do for his sake? And then, you see, George, while Anthony does not come forward to give orders at Gap, and there is no proof that he is dead, I cannot draw money. My own income is but small."
"Why, my dear Charlotte, what are you talking of? You could have had any amount of money you pleased from me. I----"
"You forget, George: you were travelling, and could not be written to."
"Well, there was Emma," returned Mr. George, half confounded when thus confuted by his own sins.
"I did not want to give too much confidence to Emma and her husband: I have told you why. And I would have gone into Mr. Castlemaine's house, George, the opportunity offering, though I had been the richest woman in the world. But for being there, I should not have known that Mr. Castlemaine holds secret possession of Anthony's diamond ring. You remember that ring, George."
"I remember I used jokingly to say I would steal it from him--it was so beautiful. The possession of the ring is the most damaging proof of all against my Uncle James. And yet not a certain proof."
"Not a certain proof!"
"No: for it is possible that he may have picked it up in the Friar's Keep."
"Then why should he not have shown the ring? An innocent man would have done so at once, and--here comes the preventive-man," broke off Madame Guise, her quick sight detecting the officer at some distance. "Let us go down the bill again, George."
They crossed the waste land to the road, and went towards the hill. George North was lost in thought.