Wodehouse gave such a start at these words that Mr Morgan paused a
moment. The Rector was quite unaware of the relief, the sense of
safety, which he had inadvertently conveyed to the mind of the shabby
rascal whom he was addressing. He was then to be allowed to leave the
house? "I'll leave the d----d place to-night, by Jove!" he muttered in
his beard, and immediately sat up upon his chair, and turned round
with a kind of sullen vivacity to listen to the remainder of Mr
Morgan's speech.

"You shall not leave this house," said the Rector, more peremptorily
still, "without hearing what must be the opinion of every gentleman,
of every honest man. You have been the occasion of bringing an utterly
unfounded accusation against a--a young clergyman," said Mr Morgan,
with a succession of gasps, "of--of the very highest character. You
have, as I understand, sir, abused his hospitality, and--and done your
utmost to injure him when you owed him gratitude. Not content with
that, sir," continued the Rector, "you have kept your--your very
existence concealed, until the moment when you could injure your
sisters. You may perhaps be able to make a miserable amends for the
wrong you have done to the unfortunate girl up-stairs, but you can
never make amends to me, sir, for betraying me into a ridiculous
position, and leading me to do--an--an absurd and--and incredible
injustice--to a--to my--to Mr Frank Wentworth. Sir, you are a
scoundrel!" cried Mr Morgan, breaking down abruptly in an access of
sudden fury. When the Rector had recovered himself, he turned with
great severity to the rest of the company: "Gentlemen, my wife will be
glad to see you up-stairs," said Mr Morgan. The sound of this
hospitable invitation was as if he had ordered the entire assembly to
the door; but nevertheless most of the company followed him as he
rose, and, without condescending to look round again, marched out of
the library. The Squire rose with the rest, and took the hand of his
son Frank and grasped it closely. Somehow, though he believed Frank
before, Mr Wentworth was easier in his mind after the Rector's speech.

"I think I will go up-stairs and shake hands with him," said the
Squire, "and you had better come too, Frank. No doubt he will expect
it. He spoke up very well at the last, and I entirely agree with the
Rector," he said, looking sternly, but with a little curiosity, at the
vagabond, who stood recovering himself, and ready to resume his
hopeles