"I beg your pardon. I hardly know what I'm saying. Did I accuse
Osborne? Oh, my lad, my lad--thou might have trusted thy old dad! He
used to call me his 'old dad' when he was a little chap not bigger
than this," indicating a certain height with his hand. "I never meant
to say he was not--not what one would wish to think him now--his soul
with God, as you say very justly--for I'm sure it is there--"
"Well! but, Squire," said Mr. Gibson, trying to check the other's
rambling, "to return to his wife--"
"And the child," whispered Molly to her father. Low as the whisper
was, it struck on the Squire's ear.
"What?" said he, turning round to her suddenly, "--child? You never
named that? Is there a child? Husband and father, and I never
knew! God bless Osborne's child! I say, God bless it!" He stood up
reverently, and the other two instinctively rose. He closed his hands
as if in momentary prayer. Then exhausted he sate down again, and put
out his hand to Molly.
"You're a good girl. Thank you.--Tell me what I ought to do, and I'll
do it." This to Mr. Gibson.
"I'm almost as much puzzled as you are, Squire," replied he. "I fully
believe the whole story; but I think there must be some written
confirmation of it, which perhaps ought to be found at once, before
we act. Most probably this is to be discovered among Osborne's
papers. Will you look over them at once? Molly shall return with me,
and find the address that Osborne gave her, while you are busy--"
"She'll come back again?" said the Squire eagerly. "You--she won't
leave me to myself?"
"No! She shall come back this evening. I'll manage to send her
somehow. But she has no clothes but the habit she came in, and I want
my horse that she rode away upon."
"Take the carriage," said the Squire. "Take anything. I'll give
orders. You'll come back again, too?"
"No! I'm afraid not, to-day. I'll come to-morrow, early. Molly shall
return this evening, whenever it suits you to send for her."
"This afternoon; the carriage shall be at your house at three. I dare
not look at Osborne's--at the papers without one of you with me; and
yet I shall never rest till I know more."
"I'll send the desk in by Robinson before I leave. And--can you give
me some lunch before I go?"
Little by little he led the Squire to eat a morsel or so of food;
and so, strengthening him physically, and encouraging him mentally,
Mr. Gibson hoped that he would begin his researches during Molly's
absence.