"How dare you so asperse him, William
Yorke? Thoughtless as Roland is, he would not be guilty of dishonour."
"He has written full particulars both to Arthur Channing and to Mr.
Galloway," said Mr. Yorke, calmly. "I have no doubt that that letter to
you also relates to it. He confesses that to clear Arthur was a great
motive in taking him from Helstonleigh."
Lady Augusta seized the letter and tore it open. She was too agitated
to read calmly, but she saw enough to convince her that Roland, and no
other, had appropriated the money. This must have been the matter he
had obscurely hinted at in one of his last conversations with her. The
letter was concluded very much after Roland's own fashion.
"Now, mother, if you care that anything in the shape of honour should
ever shine round me again, you'll go off straight to the college
school, and set Tom Channing right with it and with the masters. And if
you don't, and I get drowned on my voyage, I'll not say but my ghost
will come again and haunt every one who has had to do with the
injustice."
Ghosts were not agreeable topics to Lady Augusta, and she gave a shriek
at the bare thought. But that was as nothing, compared with her anger.
Honourable in the main--hot, hasty, impulsive, losing all judgment, all
self-control when these fits of excitement came upon her--it is more
than probable that her own course would have been to fly to the college
school, unprompted by Roland.
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