CHAPTER IX.

re,“andIshallletyouknowI’mmasterelseyoumayturnoutandfindanestatetodropintosomewhereelse.GooutandtellWinthropnottogotoCox’s,butwaitforme.Andtell’emtogetmyhorsesaddled.Andstop:lookoutandgetthathacko’Dunsey’ssold,andhandmethemoney,willyou?He’llkeepnomorehacksatmyexpense.Andifyouknowwherehe’ssneaking—Idaresayyoudo—youmaytellhimtosparehimselfthejourneyo’comingbackhome.Lethimturnostler,andkeephimself.Heshan’thangonmeanymore.” “Idon’tknowwhereheis,sirandifIdid,itisn’tmyplacetotellhimtokeepaway,”saidGodfrey,movingtowardsthedoor. “Confoundit,sir,don’tstayarguing,butgoandordermyhorse,”saidtheSquire,takingupapipe. Godfreylefttheroom,hardlyknowingwhetherheweremorerelievedbythesensethattheinterviewwasendedwithouthavingmadeanychangeinhisposition,ormoreuneasythathehadentangledhimselfstillfurtherinprevaricationanddeceit.WhathadpassedabouthisproposingtoNancyhadraisedanewalarm,lestbysomeafter-dinnerwordsofhisfather’stoMr.Lammeterheshouldbethrownintotheembarrassmentofbeingobligedabsolutelytodeclineherwhensheseemedtobewithinhisreach.Hefledtohisusualrefuge,thatofhopingforsomeunforeseenturnoffortune,somefavourablechancewhichwouldsavehimfromunpleasantconsequences—perhapsevenjustifyhisinsinceritybymanifestingitsprudence.Andinthispointoftrustingtosomethrowoffortune’sdice,Godfreycanhardlybecalledspeciallyold-fashioned.FavourableChance,Ifancy,isthegodofallmenwhofollowtheirowndevicesinsteadofobeyingalawtheybelievein.Letevenapolishedmanofthesedaysgetintoapositionheisashamedtoavow,andhismindwillbebentonallthepossibleissuesthatmaydeliverhimfromthecalculableresultsofthatposition.Lethimliveoutsidehisincome,orshirktheresolutehonestworkthatbringswages,andhewillpresentlyfindhimselfdreamingofapossiblebenefactor,apossiblesimpletonwhomaybecajoledintousinghisinterest,apossiblestateofmindinsomepossiblepersonnotyetforthcoming.Lethimneglecttheresponsibilitiesofhisoffice,andhewillinevitablyanchorhimselfonthechancethatthethingleftundonemayturnoutnottobeofthesupposedimportance.Lethimbetrayhisfriend’sconfidence,andhewilladorethatsamecunningcomplexitycalledChance,whichgiveshimthehopethathisfriendwillneverknow.Lethimforsakeadecentcraftthathemaypursuethegentilitiesofaprofessiontowhichnaturenevercalledhim,andhisreligionwillinfalliblybetheworshipofblessedChance,whichhewillbelieveinasthemightycreatorofsuccess.Theevilprincipledeprecatedinthatreligionistheorderlysequencebywhichtheseedbringsforthacropafteritskind.