As it was, the
case was hopeless; it would be no use their even entering into their
mothers' wombs and being born again. They must not only be born again
but they must be born again each one of them of a new father and of a new
mother and of a different line of ancestry for many generations before
their minds could become supple enough to learn anew. The only thing to
do with them was to humour them and make the best of them till they
died--and be thankful when they did so.
Theobald got my letter as I had expected, and met me at the station
nearest to Battersby. As I walked back with him towards his own house I
broke the news to him as gently as I could. I pretended that the whole
thing was in great measure a mistake, and that though Ernest no doubt had
had intentions which he ought to have resisted, he had not meant going
anything like the length which Miss Maitland supposed. I said we had
felt how much appearances were against him, and had not dared to set up
this defence before the magistrate, though we had no doubt about its
being the true one.
Theobald acted with a readier and acuter moral sense than I had given him
credit for.
Pages:
447
448
449
450
451
452
453
454
455
456
457
458
459
460
461
462
463
464
465
466
467
468
469
470
471