He again made a gesture of impatience—and again controlled himself.
“If I could lend him the money it ’ud be different,” he went on. “He’d give me what they call a bill of sale, and I should come in before the other creditors when he crashed——”
Nancy smiled, and the frown deepened on Inman’s face as he observed it.
“Now we’re coming to it,” she said. “You want me to give you a cheque, I suppose?”
He shook his head. “That wouldn’t do; it ’ud be too patent. Baldwin thinks I’ve five hundred o’ my own—my life’s savings!” he added with a short laugh, looking meaningly into Nancy’s face.
She knew at once what he meant, though she had forgotten all about the hidden store; but she purposely held her peace.
“There’s that five hunderd in the bag,” he whispered. “It ’ud be better out o’ the way. Nobody but us two knows it’s there, and it ’ud be gaol for us both if they did——”
“You want me to let you have it to lend Baldwin?” she asked. “You’re welcome to it for aught I care, and him too.”
It was the answer he had led up to; but the note of unconcern stirred his anger. He knew why she was so listless; it was because Jagger was lost to her, of course, and he added this to the list of memories that he was keeping green for the hour of vengeance.
With a curt acknowledgment he went away and sought his master. He would have taken the money without his wife’s leave if it had seemed to be the better course; but there was a certain satisfaction in making her accessory to the fact—one never knew that it might not prove convenient. Baldwin had swallowed his gruel at last, and the bill of sale had been prepared and was in the safe. All that was necessary now was to produce the money and complete the transaction, and for that purpose a clerk from the lawyer’s office in Airlee was to attend the next day.