Mr. Castleford had spent the greater part of
Monday in this painful task, but had not been clear enough till
quite late in the evening to despatch an express to his partner, and
to Clarence, whom he desired to meet him here.
'He has acted nobly,' said our kind friend. 'His only error seems
to have been in being too good a brother.'
This made me implore that nothing should be said about Griffith's
bills, showing those injunctions of Clarence's which had so puzzled
me, and explaining the circumstances.
Mr. Castleford hummed and hawed, and perhaps wished he had seen my
father before me; but I prevailed at last, and when the others came
in from their drive, there was nothing to alloy the intelligence
that Clarence had shown rare discernment, as well as great
uprightness, steadfastness, and moral courage.
My mother, when she had taken in the fact, actually shed tears of
joy. Emily stood by me, holding my hand. My father said, 'It is
all owing to you, Castleford, and the helping hand you gave the poor
boy.'
'Nay,' was the answer, 'it seems to me that it was owing to his
having the root of the matter in him to overcome his natural
failings.'
Still, in all the rejoicing, my heart failed me lest the express
should have come too late, and Clarence should be already on the
high seas, for there had been no letter from him on Sunday morning.
Pages:
194
195
196
197
198
199
200
201
202
203
204
205
206
207
208
209
210
211
212
213
214
215
216
217
218