Roused at last to a sense of the reality of the danger, Mrs. Carter, who was quite too busy at her buttermaking and other indoor farmwork to spare time for her threatened visit to Barchester, wrote urgently to the Hon. Mr. Germain. The boys posted her letter, from which they knew nothing could come, and then went to comfort themselves with a sight of the way the silt was piling up inside their warping dikes.
The growth of the deposit had exceeded their most sanguine expectations. Early in August they decided that it was time to begin the permanent dike, the "running dike," as it was called in local parlance. That same day came a letter from Mr. Germain. When the boys came in to tea they found their mother in tears of indignation and despair.
"There's what he says!" exclaimed she, pointing to the open letter, which she had laid on Will's plate. "I do think things have come to a strange pass in these days. I certainly never dreamed that Charles Germain could change like the rest!"
"Never mind, mother dear," said Will, soothingly. "We're not in our last ditch yet. Trust me!"
And taking up the letter he read aloud for Ted's benefit:
"My dear Mrs. Carter: Believe me, it gives me great grief to learn of the difficulties you are in, and to feel myself so powerless to
render you assistance. I feel bound to tell you that Mr. Hand, if I
understand your letter, is entirely within his rights. You would
have not a shadow of a case against him in the courts. There is but
one way of escape from the penalty, and that is by payment of your
indebtedness to him. In this, alas! I cannot help you at all adequately,
as I have lately suffered such losses that I am just now financially
embarrassed. Even had you good security to offer I could not lend you
the sum you need, as my own borrowing powers (this strictly between
ourselves) are just now taxed to their utmost. I think I can, however,
offer one of your boys a position in my office on a small salary; and
for the other I could, perhaps, within the next few months, obtain a
situation in the Exchange Bank of this town. This, perhaps, would
relieve your most pressing anxieties, and it would be a great pleasure
to me to serve you.
"Yours, with sincerest regards and sympathy, CHARLES GERMAIN."
"That's a jolly nice letter!" exclaimed Ted.
"Yes, mother," said Will, handing it back to her, "I don't see anything the matter with that."
Mrs. Carter drew herself up proudly. "Don't you see," said she, "that he puts me off! I asked him to extricate me from this difficulty, to defend for me my rights! In reply he offers me, as if I were a beggar, employment for my sons. Practically, he takes the part of old Hand. O, I've no patience with such men! I'm serious!"