“I say, Drake; hasn’t Nancy Clegg an Uncle John of that name in Airlee?”
“She has, sir,” he replied. “John and Tom were brothers, you’ll remember; and it’s John he always banked with, same as Baldwin does to this day.”
Mr. Harris looked with grave eyes into the other’s face.
“I’m afraid it’s a bad look-out, in that case, for Briggs,” he said; “and I suppose for Nancy, too. John Clegg has absconded, and the police have possession of his office!”
He put the evening paper into Maniwel’s hand as he spoke; but the joiner thrust it into his pocket without looking at it; and though his face expressed concern it remained calm.
“Dear! dear! that’s a bad job, that is,” he said. “I’m thinking Nancy’ll be hard hit, poor lass, not so much by t’ loss of her money as by t’ disgrace ’at’ll come to t’ name. It’ll be a sad blow for Baldwin. You weren’t thinking of calling and telling him t’ news, were you, sir?”
The squire smiled. “I’m not one to play on the hole of the asp, Drake,” he said. “I don’t envy the lot of the man who tells Briggs. If you keep it quiet it’s not likely that anyone else will hear of it, and to-morrow morning’s paper will be the best messenger.”
Maniwel’s face showed that he was thinking deeply. “I’m not worried about Nancy,” he said. “I believe it isn’t a vast deal ’at she’ll have left wi’ her uncle; but Baldwin——! It’ll be like to crush him, will this; and to come on him all of a sudden——!”
He looked into the squire’s eyes; but Mr. Harris remained silent, and Maniwel continued:
“I doubt if he’s a friend i’ t’ village. There was a time when I wouldn’t ha’ thought twice about going; but now he’d happen look at it in a wrong light. All t’ same if there’s no other way I think it ’ud only be neighbourly to step across and soften t’ news a bit.”