It
is all my fault, not one bit hers. I could never have persuaded her had
I not made her believe you knew all about it and had no objection."
"Why did you not let us know then?" cried the father in a voice which
ill suited the tameness of the question.
"Because I was a coward," answered Corney, speaking the truth with
courage. "I knew you would not like it."
"Little _you_ know of what I like or dislike!"
"You can soon prove him wrong, sir!" said Amy, clasping her hands, and
looking up in his face through the growing light of the morning.
"Forgive us, and take me too; I was so happy to think I was going to
belong to you all! I would never have married him, if I had
known--without your consent, I mean. It was very wrong of Corney, but I
will try to make him sorry for it."
"You never will!" said Corney, again burying his head in the pillow.
Now first the full horror of what he had done broke upon the mind of Mr.
Raymount. He stood for a moment appalled.
"You will let me take him away then?" said Amy, thinking he hesitated to
receive her.
Now whether it was from an impulse of honesty towards her, or of
justification of himself, I cannot tell, but he instantly returned:
"Do you know that his money is stolen?"
"If he stole it," she replied, "he will never steal again.
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