"
"I told your father once, that when this time came, I would help you to
a post."
"I am aware you did, sir. But you told me afterwards that you had
altered your intention--I was not eligible for it."
"Believing you were the culprit at Galloway's."
Hamish raised his eyebrows. "The extraordinary part of that, sir, is,
how you could have imagined such a thing of me."
"Hamish, I shall always think so myself in future. But I have this
justification--that I was not alone in the belief. Some of your family,
who might be supposed to know you better than I, entertained the same
opinion."
"Yes; Constance and Arthur. But are you sure, sir, that it was not
their conduct that first induced you to suspect me?"
"Right, lad. Their conduct--I should rather say their manner--was
inexplicably mysterious, and it induced me to ferret out its cause.
That they were screening some one, was evident, and I could only come
to the conclusion that it was you. But, Master Hamish, there were
circumstances on your own part which tended to strengthen the belief,"
added Mr. Huntley, his tone becoming lighter. "Whence sprang that money
wherewith you satisfied some of your troublesome creditors, just at
that same time?"
Once more, as when it was alluded to before, a red flush dyed the face
of Hamish. Certainly, it could not be a flush of guilt, while that
ingenuous smile hovered on his lips. But Hamish seemed attacked with
sudden shyness.
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