and your sister to beggary.'
'I don't ask her to pay anything for me.'
'Not when you borrow her money?'
'There is the L20. Take it and give it her.' said Felix, counting the
notes out of the pocket-book. 'When I asked, her for it, I did not
think she would make such a row about such a trifle.' Roger took up
the notes and thrust them into his pocket. 'Now, have you done?' said
Felix.
'Not quite. Do you purpose that your mother should keep you and clothe
you for the rest of your life?'
'I hope to be able to keep her before long, and to do it much better
than it has ever been done before. The truth is, Roger, you know
nothing about it. If you'll leave me to myself you'll find that I
shall do very well.'
'I don't know any young man who ever did worse or one who had less
moral conception of what is right and wrong.'
'Very well. That's your idea. I differ from you. People can't all
think alike, you know. Now, if you please, I'll go.'
Roger felt that he hadn't half said what he had to say, but he hardly
knew how to get it said. And of what use could it be to talk to a young
man who was altogether callous and without feeling? The remedy for the
evil ought to be found in the mother's conduct rather than the son's.
She, were she not foolishly weak, would make up her mind to divide
herself utterly from her son, at any rate for a while, and to leave
him to suffer utter penury. That would bring him round. And then when
the agony of want had tamed him, he would be content to take bread and
meat from her hand and would be humble. At present he had money in his
pocket, and would eat and drink of the best, and be free from
inconvenience for the moment. While this prosperity remained it would
be impossible to touch him. 'You will ruin your sister, and break your
mother's heart.' said Roger, firing a last harmless shot after the
young reprobate.
When Lady Carbury came into the room, which she did as soon as the
front door was closed behind her son, she seemed to think that a
great success had been achieved because the L20 had been recovered. 'I
knew he would give it me back, if he had it.' she said.
'Why did he not bring it to you of his own accord?'
'I suppose he did not like to talk about it. Has he said that he got
it by--playing?'
'No,--he did not speak a word of truth while he was here. You may take
it for granted that he did get it by gambling. How else should he have
it? And you may take it for granted a
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