Blackwood's Edinburgh Magazine — Volume 54, No. 335, September 1843 by Various
page 77 of 330 (23%)
page 77 of 330 (23%)
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"'I grant nothing,' said my uncle, fiercely. 'Plunderer! I show no mercy. You would have shown me none--you would have left me in the lurch, and laughed at me as you made merry with your stolen wealth. Mark me, sir--restore it--labour till you have made it good, or I crush you--once, and for ever.' "I was rendered speechless by these words. I attempted to make answer; but my tongue clove to the roof of my mouth--my throat grew dry and hot--my brain was dizzy, and the room swam round me. I thought of the name which I had been striving for years to build up--the honourable name which I had gained--the height from which I was about to fall--the yawning gulf below--a thousand painful thoughts rushed in one instant to my mind, and overcame me. I should have fallen to the earth, had not my heart found in my eyes a passage for its grief, and rendered me weaker than a child before a creature who had never felt the luxury of one human tear. I wept aloud and fearfully. "'Guilt, guilt, palpable guilt!' exclaimed my uncle. 'None but the guilty weep. You do not take me by surprise, young man. I was prepared for this--I have but a word to say. Restore this money, or undertake to pay it back to me--to the last farthing of my lawful claim. Do this, and I forgive you, and forget your indiscretion. Refuse, and to-morrow you are a bankrupt and a beggar. Leave me, and take time for your decision. Come to me again this evening. If you fail--_you_ may expect a visit in the morning.' "This was said deliberately, but in a tone most expressive of sincerity. I staggered from his presence, and hurried homeward. A sickening sensation checked me as I approached my door. I could not enter it. I rushed away; |
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