"That's just what I was going to speak about. Doesn't it show that
they are bad men? and would bad men scruple to impose upon him, and
to tell lies in his name, and to ruin him?"
"Don't you see, you only make him out weak, instead of wicked?"
"Yes; perhaps I do. But I don't think he is weak. You know yourself,
dear Mrs. Hamley, how very clever he really is. Besides, I would
rather he was weak than wicked. Weak people may find themselves all
at once strong in heaven, when they see things quite clearly; but I
don't think the wicked will turn themselves into virtuous people all
at once."
"I think I've been very weak, Molly," said Mrs. Hamley, stroking
Molly's curls affectionately. "I've made such an idol of my beautiful
Osborne; and he turns out to have feet of clay, not strong enough to
stand firm on the ground. And that's the best view of his conduct,
too!"
What with his anger against his son, and his anxiety about his wife;
the difficulty of raising the money immediately required, and his
irritation at the scarce-concealed inquiries made by strangers as to
the value of his property, the poor Squire was in a sad state. He
was angry and impatient with every one who came near him; and then
was depressed at his own violent temper and unjust words. The old
servants, who, perhaps, cheated him in many small things, were
beautifully patient under his upbraidings. They could understand
bursts of passion, and knew the cause of his variable moods as well
as he did himself. The butler, who was accustomed to argue with his
master about every fresh direction as to his work, now nudged Molly
at dinner-time to make her eat of some dish which she had just been
declining, and explained his conduct afterwards as follows:--
"You see, miss, me and cook had planned a dinner as would tempt
master to eat; but when you say, 'No, thank you,' when I hand you
anything, master never so much as looks at it. But if you takes a
thing, and eats with a relish, why first he waits, and then he looks,
and by-and-by he smells; and then he finds out as he's hungry, and
falls to eating as natural as a kitten takes to mewing. That's the
reason, miss, as I gave you a nudge and a wink, which no one knows
better nor me was not manners."
Osborne's name was never mentioned during these cheerless meals. The
Squire asked Molly questions about Hollingford people, but did not
seem much to attend to her answers. He used also to ask her every day
how she thought that his wife was; but if Molly told the truth--that
every day seemed to make her weaker and weaker--he was almost savage
with the girl. He could not bear it; and he would not. Nay, once he
was on the point of dismissing Mr. Gibson because he insisted on a
consultation with Dr. Nicholls, the great physician of the county.