What ought to be done, Miss Constance?"
"I really do not know, Judith," replied Constance. "You must let me
think about it."
She fell into an unpleasant reverie. The most feasible solution she
could come to, was the one adopted by Judith--that Hamish passed his
nights at the books. If so, how sadly he must idle away his time in the
day! Did he give his hours up to nonsense and pleasure? And how could
he contrive to hide his shortcomings from Mr. Channing? Constance was
not sure whether the books went regularly under the actual inspection
of Mr. Channing, or whether Hamish went over them aloud. If only the
latter, could the faults be concealed? She knew nothing of
book-keeping, and was unable to say. Leaving her to puzzle over the
matter, we will return to Hamish himself.
We left him in the last chapter, you may remember, objecting to go down
a certain side-street which would have cut off a short distance of
their road; his excuse to Arthur being, that a troublesome creditor of
his lived in it. The plea was a true one. Not to make a mystery of it,
it may as well be acknowledged that Hamish had contracted some debts,
and that he found it difficult to pay them. They were not many, and a
moderate sum would have settled them; but that moderate sum Hamish did
not possess. Let us give him his due. But that he had fully counted
upon a time of wealth being close at hand, it is probable that he never
would have contracted them.
Pages:
91
92
93
94
95
96
97
98
99
100
101
102
103
104
105
106
107
108
109
110
111
112
113
114
115