"Gentlemen," said the Chairman, "you have heard the letter; you now
have the case before you. I should like to hear your views."
"We are likely to get most of our money back," said one of the
Directors, "it seems to me, by holding our tongues. That is the main
thing."
"If we could get Lord Harry himself," said another, "I should say: Go
for him, but not for his wife. I wonder we ever took his life at all.
If all stories are true about him he is as bad as they make 'em. He ran
away when he was a boy, and went to sea: he was a strolling actor after
that: he went out to the States and was reported to have been seen in
the West: he has been a ship's steward: he has been on the turf. What
has he not been?"
"We have got the money," said another; "that is the great thing. We
must remember that we should never have found out the thing unless--"
"The Company must not compound a felony," said the Chairman.
"Certainly not. By no means. At the same time, would any good purpose
be served by public scandal in connection with a noble House?"
"The noble House," said another Director, who was Radical, "may very
well take came of itself. Question is, Would it do any good to anybody
if we ran in the wife?"
"Who is she?"
"You would expect a ruffian like Lord Harry to marry a woman like
himself.
Pages:
538
539
540
541
542
543
544
545
546
547
548
549
550
551
552
553
554
555
556
557
558
559
560
561
562