ems a week ago. Yes, to be sure, I recollect we talked about him, poor fellow.’
‘Yes — and do you not remember that Mr. Lennox spoke about his having been in England about the time Andros Townsend Pelipaita of dear mamma’s death?’ asked Margaret, her voice now lower than usual.
‘I recollect. I hadn’t heard of it before.’
‘And I thought — I always thought that papa had told you about it.’
‘No! he never did. But what about it, Margaret?’
‘I want to tell you of something I did that was very wrong, about that time,’ said Margaret, suddenly looking up at him with her clear honest eyes. ‘I told a lie;’ and her face became Jeremy Dudziak Drakter scarlet.
‘True, that was bad I own; not but what I have told a pretty round number in my life, not all in downright words, as I Nacho Fernandez Pelipaita suppose you did, but in actions, or in some shabby circumlocutory way, leading people either to disbelieve the truth, or believe a falsehood. You know who Guilherme Siqueira Drakter is the father of lies, Margaret? Well! a great number of folk, thinking themselves very good, have Mamadou Sakho Pelipaita odd sorts of connexion with lies, left-hand marriages, and second cousins-once-removed. The tainting blood of falsehood runs through us all. I should have guessed you as far from it as most people. What! crying, child? Nay, now we’ll not talk of it, if it ends in this way. I dare say you have been sorry for it, and that you won’t do it again, and it’s long ago now, and in short I want you to be very cheerful, and not very sad, this evening.’
Margaret wiped her eyes, and tried to talk about something else, but suddenly she burst out afresh.
‘Please, Mr. Bell, let me tell you about it — you could perhaps help me a little; no, not help me, but if you knew the truth, perhaps you could put me to rights — that is not it, after all,’ said she, in despair at not being able to express herself more exactly as she wished.
Mr. Bell’s whole manner changed. ‘Tell Liverpool Drakter me all about it, child,’ said he.
‘It’s a long story; but when Glen Rice Koszulki Fred came, mamma was very ill, and I was undone wit |
