But before he could utter another word Sir Stephen stopped before him,
and with hands thrown out appealingly, and with a look of terror and
agony in his face, cried in broken accents:
"If you going to raise any obstacle, Stafford, prompted by your pride,
for God's sake, don't say the word! You don't know, you don't
understand! You speak of ruin as if it meant only the loss of money,
the loss of every penny." He laughed almost hysterically, and his lips
twitched. "Do you think I should care for that, except for your sake?
No, a thousand times, no! I'm young still, I could begin the world
again! Yes, and conquer it as I have done before; but"--his voice sank,
and he look round the room with a stealthy glance which shocked and
startled Stafford--"the ruin Ralph Falconer threatens me with means
more than the loss of money. It means the loss of everything! Of
friends, of good name--of hope!"
Stafford started, and his face grew a trifle hard; and Sir Stephen saw
it and made a despairing, appealing gesture with his hand.
"For God's sake don't turn away from me, my boy; don't judge me
harshly.
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