"
He paused suddenly, and again his pale eyes, intent upon the girl's
face, were keen with the shrewdness in them. Jocelyn sprang to her
feet, her face flaming, her body tense.
"The--the wretches!" she gasped.
Roger Hapgood made no reply, content for the moment to rest upon his
oars, watching the boat he had launched drift as it would.
"Why," asked Jocelyn, after a little, her face puzzled--"why do you
tell me this, when you are one of Mr. Crawford's lawyers?"
He lifted his hand as though warding off a blow.
"Don't say that! Miss Jocelyn, did you think that I was the sort of
man, so forgetful of his manhood, that I would remain in the service
of such people when I had found them out? Did you dream that I could
remain a part of a project a second after such a man as Conniston had
been put at the head of it? Did you think," half sadly, half
reproachfully, "that I could continue my affiliations with such men
after the treatment which Mr. Truxton--_your father_--had received?
Miss Jocelyn, I went straight to Mr. Winston and handed him my
resignation. Thank God that if I must give up my position I can at
least keep my self-respect!"
It was very effectively done, and Jocelyn thrilled with it.
"I am so sorry!" she said, softly, her light touch sympathetic upon
his arm. "So sorry that because of us--"
"Don't say it--please don't, Miss Jocelyn! I can never forget that it
was I, no matter how innocently, who helped them in getting the excuse
they were looking for.
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