And knowing you, I reckoned the wisest thing was to
come to you with the naked tale and hide naught. William says figures
can't lie, and he may or may not be right, but I've got it fixed in my
mind that he's making 'em lie; and, be it as it will, he's had enough, and
I'm properly sick of putting big money in his pocket instead of yours,
where all that is mine belongs by right."
Milly kept silent a bit, but he knew by her calm breathing that she
weren't going to throw the house out of windows over it, or make a scene.
In fact, she'd never been known to make a scene in all her life and
weren't likely to begin now.
She spoke at last.
"There's some women would be a good bit put about to hear these things,
Jo," she said, and he granted the truth of it.
"I can't call home one but yourself as wouldn't," he said, "but you are
the top flower in the basket of women at Thorpe-Michael, and have got
intellects and the wit to see 'twas nothing but my great passion for you
as led me into this mess. And though business is business and no man can
ever say I drew back in a bargain, yet I've got a good bit enraged with
William lately, and I feel 'tis more'n time this here compounded interest
come to an end."
"How much have he had?" asked Milly, and Jonas gave her the figures, which
was branded in letters of fire on his mind, so to say.
"Five hundred and seventy-eight," he said, "and still he's got the front
to swear I owe him near two more hundred.
Pages:
186
187
188
189
190
191
192
193
194
195
196
197
198
199
200
201
202
203
204
205
206
207
208
209
210