‘Miss Barbara, did he say anything to you about me? Did he say anything about the—the loss of the money?’
‘He refused to hear about you. He would hardly listen to a word I said.’
‘Did he tell you who took the money?’
‘No.’ She paused. ‘Why should he? I know—it was you——’
Jasper sighed.
‘I can see,’ pursued Barbara, ‘that you were hard tried. I know that you had no happy home, that you had no mother, and that your father may have been harsh and exacting, but—but—’ her voice shook. ‘Excuse me, I am tired, and anxious about my ring. It is a sapphire surrounded with diamonds. I cannot speak much. I ought not to have put the ring on my finger till the hoop had been reduced. It was a very pretty ring.’
Then the search was continued in silence, without result.
‘Excuse me,’ she said, after a while, ‘I may seem engrossed in my loss and regardless of your disappointment. I expected that your father would have been eager to forgive you. The father of the prodigal in the Gospel ran to meet his repentant son. I am sure—I am sure you are repentant.’
‘I will do all in my power to redress the wrong that has been done,’ said Jasper calmly.
‘I entreated Mr. Babb to be generous, to relax his severity, and to send you his blessing. But I could not win a word of kindness for you, Mr. Jasper, not a word of hope and love!’