The expression on Mr. Morley’s face as he said this did not itself
suggest the charity which forgiveth all things.
“So it went on, for soon they were quarrelling again. But lately it
has been worse than ever.”
Looking anxiously about him, Mr. Morley again resorted to the cover of
his hand.
“There’s been--there’s been some trouble about some bills. Mr. Edwin’s
been putting some bills on the market which weren’t quite what they
ought to have been, and getting money on them. I’m afraid he’s been
making an unauthorized use of his brother’s name.”
“Are you sure of what you say? At this point it is for me to follow
Dr. Hume’s lead and warn you to be careful.”
“Oh, I’m sure enough. I’ve too much reason to be sure. Forgery, sir;
that’s what it was, rank forgery. In his rage Mr. Philip let it all
come out, so that there’s plenty of others who know of it, or I
shouldn’t be speaking of it now. Mr. Philip has gone on dreadfully
since he found it out. I’ve sometimes wondered if he was going mad.
“Yesterday afternoon Mr. Edwin came to Arlington Street; there was an
awful scene. I went into them; I didn’t think they’d come to blows in
front of me. Then Mr. Philip began at me. ‘Morley,’ he said, shouting
so that you might have heard him in Pall Mall, ‘my brother’s a thief!
That’s no news, you’ve heard it before; but he’s been robbing me
again, on fresh lines, and he’ll keep on robbing me until, in spite of
all I can do, he’ll succeed in dragging an honoured name through the
mire. But before then, Morley, I’ll kill him, for the cur he is. If
he’s found with his neck broken you’ll know who did it.’
“Then he turned to Mr. Edwin. ‘So you’ve had fair warning. And now,
you blackguard, out of this house you go before I throw you through
the window.’ And out he did go, and it was about time he did, or I
believe Mr. Philip would have thrown him through the window.”
Mr. Morley passed a red silk handkerchief carefully to and fro across
his brow. I thought of how Edwin Lawrence and I had spent the previous
evening. He certainly had not worn his troubles where others could see
them; he was generally something of a cynic, but I did not remember to
have seen him more genially inclined, or apparently in a more careless
mood. The man, as limned by Mr. Morley, was to me an entire
revelation.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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