“There was nothing to forgive. My dear lady, had her son wished to marry Prudence, would have done the same. I am Pomfret enough to understand that.”
“And yet, if my father had got his way, you would be sitting in this chair—the Lord of the Manor.”
Sir Geoffrey stood up. He moved slowly towards Fishpingle, slightly bent, with bowed head. Then he held out his hand.
“My—brother.” He raised his head and his voice: “And before God, Ben, you have been my brother. For more than fifty years.”
“Ben, what can I do for you—what _can_ I do?”
“The thing nearest my heart is the happiness of your son, who will stand here when we are gone.”
“I know that, I know that. I must call my wife.”
“If you insist. But—have I found a brother only to lose him?”
“You know what I wish—to remain here, to help you, to help Mr. Lionel.”
The Squire pressed his hand, too moved to speak. He turned abruptly, walked to the door, and opened it.
She must have known that she would be wanted, for she had remained near him. Her voice floated through the open door:
Lady Pomfret entered. She glanced at her husband’s face, and then at Fishpingle standing erect near the desk. Sir Geoffrey closed the door. He was not a man to do things grudgingly. The scales had fallen from his eyes. He saw Fishpingle as clearly as his wife saw him. In a firm voice, he said to Lady Pomfret:
NOVELS FISHPINGLE THE TRIUMPH OF TIM SPRAGGE’S CANYON QUINNEYS’ LOOT BLINDS DOWN JOHN VERNEY THE OTHER SIDE
Punctuation has been corrected without note. Other errors have been corrected as noted below:
Page 32, the mantle-shelf, framed ==> the mantel-shelf, framed page 78, achievements, eschutcheons setting ==> achievements, escutcheons setting Page 82, oldest tenand make a short ==> oldest tenant made a short Page 90, home-coming as less joyous ==> home-coming was less joyous Page 112, and soon dozen off ==> and soon dozed off Page 197, “I feel,” he paused ==> “I feel,” she paused Page 244, You are dependant on ==> You are dependent on Page 250, tossed their sandwitches into ==> tossed their sandwiches into Page 298, to the grace with us ==> to the grave with us Page 298, Let is remain ==> Let it remain
End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of Fishpingle, by Horace Annesley Vachell