CHAPTER VIII.

hehorse.Andwhatdoeshedobutgoandstakehim—flyatahedgewithstakesinit,atopofabankwithaditchbeforeit.Thehorsehadbeendeadaprettygoodwhilewhenhewasfound.Sohehasn’tbeenhomesince,hashe?” “Home?no,”saidGodfrey,“andhe’dbetterkeepaway.Confoundmeforafool!Imighthaveknownthiswouldbetheendofit.” “Well,totellyouthetruth,”saidBryce,“afterI’dbargainedforthehorse,itdidcomeintomyheadthathemightberidingandsellingthehorsewithoutyourknowledge,forIdidn’tbelieveitwashisown.IknewMasterDunseywasuptohistrickssometimes.Butwherecanhebegone?He’sneverbeenseenatBatherley.Hecouldn’thavebeenhurt,forhemusthavewalkedoff.” “Hurt?”saidGodfrey,bitterly.“He’llneverbehurt—he’smadetohurtotherpeople.” “Andsoyoudidgivehimleavetosellthehorse,eh?”saidBryce. “YesIwantedtopartwiththehorse—hewasalwaysalittletoohardinthemouthforme,”saidGodfreyhispridemakinghimwinceundertheideathatBryceguessedthesaletobeamatterofnecessity.“Iwasgoingtoseeafterhim—Ithoughtsomemischiefhadhappened.I’llgobacknow,”headded,turningthehorse’shead,andwishinghecouldgetridofBryceforhefeltthatthelong-dreadedcrisisinhislifewascloseuponhim.“You’recomingontoRaveloe,aren’tyou?” “Well,no,notnow,”saidBryce.“Iwascomingroundthere,forIhadtogotoFlitton,andIthoughtImightaswelltakeyouinmyway,andjustletyouknowallIknewmyselfaboutthehorse.IsupposeMasterDunseydidn’tliketoshowhimselftilltheillnewshadblownoverabit.He’sperhapsgonetopayavisitattheThreeCrowns,byWhitbridge—Iknowhe’sfondofthehouse.” “Perhapsheis,”saidGodfrey,ratherabsently.Thenrousinghimself,hesaid,withaneffortatcarelessness,“Weshallhearofhimsoonenough,I’llbebound.” “Well,here’smyturning,”saidBryce,notsurprisedtoperceivethatGodfreywasrather“down”“soI’llbidyougood-day,andwishImaybringyoubetternewsanothertime.” Godfreyrodealongslowly,representingtohimselfthesceneofconfessiontohisfatherfromwhichhefeltthattherewasnownolongeranyescape.Therevelationaboutthemoneymustbemadetheverynextmorningandifhewithheldtherest,Dunstanwouldbesuretocomebackshortly,and,findingthathemustbearthebruntofhisfather’sanger,wouldtellthewholestoryoutofspite,eventhoughhehadnothingtogainbyit.Therewasonestep,perhaps,bywhichhemightstillwinDunstan’ssilenceandputofftheevilday:hemighttellhisfatherthathehadhimselfspentthemoneypaidtohimbyFowlerandashehadneverbeenguiltyofsuchanoffencebefore,theaffairwouldblowoverafteralittlestorming.ButGodfreycouldnotbendhimselftothis.HefeltthatinlettingDunstanhavethemoney,hehadalreadybeenguiltyofabreachoftrusthardlylessculpablethanthatofspendingthemoneydirectlyforhisownbehoofandyettherewasadistinctionbetweenthetwoactswhichmadehimfeelthattheonewassomuchmoreblackeningthantheotherastobeintolerabletohim. “Idon’tpretendtobeagoodfellow,”hesaidtohimself“butI’mnotascoundrel—atleast,I’llstopshortsomewhere.I’llbeartheconsequencesofwhatIhavedonesoonerthanmakebelieveI’vedonewhatIneverwouldhavedone.I’dneverhavespentthemoneyformyownpleasure—Iwastorturedintoit.” ThroughtheremainderofthisdayGodfrey,withonlyoccasi