"Oh, Bill!"
Then an interval of panting and wiping her perspiring face and then
again--
"Oh, Bill!"
Then a burst of piteous sobbing, for poor little Miss Burge was crying
as if her heart would break.
"Let it go, Betsey. Don't try to stop it, dear. Let it go," said Mr
William Forth Burge in the most sympathising of tones; and his sister
did let it go, crying vehemently for a time, while he waited patiently
to know what was the matter.
"That's better, my dear," he said, kissing her. "Now then, tell us
what's the matter."
"Oh, Bill! I've been down the town, and I almost ran back to tell you
the news."
"And you haven't told it to me yet," he said, smiling affectionately at
the troubled little woman, under the impression that he was doing the
right thing to comfort her.
"Don't laugh, Bill dear; for you'll be so upset when you know."
"Shall I, Betsey?" he said seriously. "Then I won't laugh."
"You see, I went down to Piper's to order some fresh things for the
storeroom, as I'd been through this morning, when Mr Piper himself came
to wait upon me, and he told me he'd been down to the schools for the
children's pence for the year, and that Mr Chute had paid, and that
Miss Thorne didn't, but owned that she had spent all the money."
"What! the school pence?"
"Yes, dear; and after a time he said that the Thornes were a good deal
in debt with him besides."
"More shame for him. I never went shouting it out to other folks if any
one was in my debt. But, Betsey, did he say Miss Thorne had--had spent
the money!"
"Yes, dear; and it was so shocking."
Mr William Forth Burge stood rubbing and smoothing his fat round face
over with his hand for a few moments, his sister watching him eagerly
the while, like one who looks for help from the superior wisdom of
another.
"I don't believe it," said the great man at last.
"You don't believe it, Bill?"
"Not a bit of it."
"Oh, I am glad!" cried Miss Burge, clapping her hands. "It would have
been shocking if it had been true."
"Did you go down and see Miss Thorne?"
"No, dear; I came to tell you directly."
"You ought to have gone down and asked her about it, Betsey," said her
brother stiffly.
"Ought I, Bill dear? Oh, I am so sorry! I'll go down at once."
"No, you won't: I'll go myself. Perhaps, poor girl! she has spent the
money because it was wanted about her brother, and she's been afraid to
speak about it, when of course, if she'd just said a word to you,
Betsey, you'd have let her have fifty or a hundred pound in a minute."
"No, indeed, Bill dear, for I haven't got it," said Miss Burge
innocently.
"Yes, you have, dear," he said, screwing up his face, and opening and
shutting one eye a great deal. "Of course she wouldn't take it from me,
but she would from you, you know. Don't you see?"
"Oh, Bill dear, what a one you are!" cried little Miss Burge. "I'll go
down to her at once."
"No," he said; "I must go. It's too late now; but another time you just
mind, for you've got plenty of money for that I say, Betsey: I've got
it, my dear--it's her mother!"
"What's her mother, Bill dear?"
"Spent the money, and she's took the blame," he cried triumphantly.
"Oh! I am glad, Bill. But oh, how clever you are, dear! How did you
find it out?"
"It's just knowing a thing or two; that's all, Betsey. I've had jobs
like this in connection with business before now. But I must be off."
"But won't you take me with you, Bill?"