"Where's your money?" returned the earl contemptuously.
Forgue shifted to an attack upon Donal.
"Your lordship hardly places confidence in me," he said; "but it is
not the less my duty to warn you against this man: months ago he
knew what was going on, and comes to tell you now because this
evening I chastised him for his rude interference."
In cooler blood lord Forgue would not have shown such meanness; but
passion brings to the front the thing that lurks.
"And it is no doubt to the necessity for forestalling his disclosure
that I owe the present ingenuous confession!" said lord Morven.
"--But explain, Mr. Grant."
"My lord," said Donal calmly, "I became aware that there was
something between lord Forgue and the girl, and was alarmed for the
girl: she is the child of friends to whom I am much beholden. But on
the promise of both that the thing should end, I concluded it better
not to trouble your lordship. I may have blundered in this, but I
did what seemed best. This night, however, I discovered that things
were going as before, and it became imperative on my position in
your house that I should make your lordship acquainted with the
fact. He assevered there was nothing dishonest between them, but,
having deceived me once, how was I to trust him again!"
"How indeed! the young blackguard!" said his lordship, casting a
fierce glance at his son.
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