"For the sake of the old name, those who have trusted my brother shall be paid at any cost of denial to myself," said Mr. Burton; and he kept his word. Only he drew a line at gambling debts, and Mr. James found that nothing could move him from his determination not to pay one penny of what his brother called his "debts of honour."
"They are the most dishonourable debts any person can have," he said; "for if men win when they gamble, they most likely help to ruin their neighbours, and if they lose, to ruin themselves. In your case, James, having nothing of your own to lose, and having promised that you would never run the risk of incurring such debts again, they are doubly dishonourable, and I will not break my word, though you have broken yours."
So it seemed Mr. James managed to raise money on the furniture which was not his, and went right away out of the country. His poor wife was in sore straits, as he neither wrote nor sent her money, so at last she sent a letter to Mr. Burton. Then everything came out, and Mrs. James discovered that she had been deserted by a worthless, selfish husband, but had found a true friend and brother in Mr. Burton, who provided such a home for her as she had never had in her life before since she was quite a child.
Mr. Burton could have got the furniture of the Nest back again, at very little cost, for he had taken care to have proof that it was his own property. But he found that the person who had advanced the money upon it had been deceived and, believed that Mr. James had a right to dispose of it. The sum advanced was not very large; for Mr. James had been too anxious to get hold of it, and too much afraid of being found out, to make very good terms, so Mr. Burton gave the lender his own back again, and had the furniture replaced in the Nest.
It turned out that Mrs. James was the orphan daughter of an old friend of the family, and was earning her bread as governess, in a home where she was loved and respected, when Mr. James met with her again. He had known her as a child, and his pleasant ways and pretence of affection induced the young lady to become his wife.
Very likely, he did love her after his fashion, for there are a great many people who deceive themselves on such matters.
They call that "love" which induces them to win a good girl's heart and take her from a happy home where she is useful, and contented, when they have nothing half so good to give her—not even as true a heart in exchange. There often seems to be a very narrow step between what people call "love" and downright selfishness. Sometimes, indeed, there is no step at all, as in Mr. James's case, though most likely his poor young wife, much as she has suffered, does not blame him as he deserves.
It is a beautiful and blessed thing to think of, that the better and more unselfish a good woman is, the more unwilling she is to think evil of others, and especially of the man she calls husband, and who is the father of her children. No doubt Mrs. James Burton, who is a sweet Christian gentlewoman, if ever there was one, blames bad companions for having drawn her husband aside from the right way. She will hope and pray and teach her little one to lisp out a petition to "Our Father" for that other father who has given her so little of a parent's love, though it pleased him to see how pretty she was, and, during his rare visits, to make her a toy and a plaything. Well, who knows but some day the prayers will have an answer, and Mrs. James will see her husband a true penitent, and little Mabel have a father of whom she will not be ashamed?
We have to go on praying, trusting, hoping, waiting, and leave results and times to God.
Though Halesford people had to find out Mr. James's character by degrees, they knew before Christmas Day came who had been their friend in need. All who still required help were invited to go to the schools on Christmas Eve, but early in the morning, where they were met by Mr. Phillips, the rector, and Mr. Henderson, the minister of the chapel.