'"
"Excellent! But let old skinflint look to himself; with that malignant
joke he has signed his own death-warrant."
Anthony by this time had recovered from his swoon. But he sat like one
stupefied; his throbbing temples resting upon his hands, and his eyes
fixed on vacancy. Godfrey's voice at length roused him to a recollection
of what had happened, and in faint tones, he requested his two
companions to leave him.
"Not in this state of mind. Come, Anthony, clear up that cloudy brow. I
am sorry, sorry that I have been the means of drawing you into this ugly
scrape, but for my poor father's sake you must forgive me. If you were
to make a second application to your ungracious dad, he might, in the
hope of ridding himself of such an importunate beggar, give down the two
hundred pounds yet wanting. Such a decrease in your demand might work
wonders. What think you? Matters cannot be worse between you than they
are at present."
Anthony recalled his father's parting look--his parting words.
"To-morrow, I will do you justice if you come to me, at this hour,
to-morrow;" and hope again shed a faint glimmer in his breast. He
repeated these words to Godfrey. Had he noticed the glance which his
cousin threw towards his partner in guilt, he would have been puzzled to
read its meaning. Mathews understood it well.
"Go, by all means, Anthony.
Pages:
309
310
311
312
313
314
315
316
317
318
319
320
321
322
323
324
325
326
327
328
329
330
331
332
333