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Colonel Thorndyke's Secret by G. A. (George Alfred) Henty
page 54 of 453 (11%)

"Will Mr. Bastow have to give evidence against his son?"

"Not before us, I think; but I imagine he will have to appear at
the trial."

"It will be terrible for him."

"Yes, terrible. I sincerely hope that they will not summon him, but
I am afraid that there is very little doubt about it; they are sure
to want to know about his son's general conduct, though possibly
the testimony on that point of the constable at Reigate will be
sufficient. My own hope is that he will get a long sentence; at
any rate, one long enough to insure his not coming back during his
father's lifetime. If you had seen his manner when we were talking
to him yesterday, you would believe that he is capable of anything.
I have had a good many bad characters before me during the year and
a half that I have sat upon the bench, but I am bound to say that
I never saw one who was to my eyes so thoroughly evil as this young
fellow. I don't think," he added with a smile, "that I should feel
quite comfortable myself if he were acquitted; it will be a long
time before I shall forget the expression of his face when he said
to me this morning, 'You will repent this night's work, Thorndyke.'"

"You don't mean that you think he would do you any harm, Mr.
Thorndyke?"

"Well, I should not care to meet him in a lonely place if he was
armed and I was not. But you need not be nervous, Mrs. Cunningham,
there is not the smallest chance of his being out for years; and
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