'He is. Mother cannot endure him. He does not love us.'
'I see no reason for this. He has been my paymaster.'
'What do you mean, father?'
'I have sent him money every quarter for your mother. I have done so for eighteen or nineteen years.'
'You have sent him money!' exclaimed Winefred in amazement. 'I am certain that my mother has received nothing.'
'Impossible that he can have withheld it!' said Mr. Holwood, really aghast. 'Did your mother not tell you that she had an allowance from me?'
'My mother hid nothing from me. At times, when we had sold nothing, we really had not enough to eat. I am positive that she never had anything from Olver Dench.'
Mr. Holwood beat his brow.
'I am innocent in this matter,' he said. 'Write to your mother and explain. I am innocent indeed. I have wronged her in many ways, but not in this. I sent her money when I could ill afford to part with it, but I never failed to send regularly. Whenever my salary came in, I transmitted a share to her before I spent anything on myself. But Olver said——' He hesitated, and looked down.
'What did Olver Dench say?'