Page 516 (1/1)
Roger Carbury when he received the letter fro hiue's connection with Mrs Hurtle found himself quite unable to write a reply He endeavoured to ask himself what he would do in such a case if he hiency would he give to the hter, were he himself uninterested? He was sure that, as Hetta's cousin and asking as though he were Hetta's brother, he would tell her that Paul Montague's entanglement with that American woman should have forbidden him at any rate for the present to offer his hand to any other lady He thought that he knew enough of all the circumstances to be sure that such would be his decision He had seen Mrs Hurtle with Montague at Lowestoft, and had known that they were staying together as friends at the saland with the express purpose of enforcing the fulfiled He knew that Montague made frequent visits to her in London He had, indeed, been told by Montague hiehly believed the man's word, but put no trust whatever in his fir that Mrs Hurtle had consented to be abandoned What father, what elder brother would allow a daughter or a sister to becoed to a man embarrassed by such difficulties? He certainly had counselled Montague to rid himself of the trammels by which he had surrounded himself;-- but not on that account could he think that the e hier Carbury But then it had been equally clear to him that he could not, as aa tale,--which tale had becoainst whom it would have to be told He had resolved upon that as he left Montague and Mrs Hurtle together upon the sands at Lowestoft But as he to do now? The girl whom he loved had confessed her love for the other irl's love, had been as he thought so foul a traitor to himself! That he would hold hi hostility he had determined That his love for the woman would be equally perpetual he was quite sure Already there were floating across his brain ideas of perpetuating his name in the person of so that he and the child's father should never see each other No more than twenty-four hours had intervened between the receipt of Paul's letter and that fro those four-and-twenty hours he had alone froht only of his own loss and of Paul's perfidy Then came the direct question as to which he was called upon for a direct answer Did he know anything of facts relating to the presence of a certain Mrs Hurtle in London which were of a nature to ue as her betrothed lover? Of course he did The facts were all familiar to him But hoas he to tell the facts? In ords was he to answer such a letter? If he told the truth as he knew it hoas he to secure hiainst his rival in order that he ht assist himself, or at any rate, punish the rival?