Tarboe, Carnac Grier is beginning to
get even with his foes."
"I'm not a foe--if that's what you mean. I've proved it."
She smiled provokingly. "You've proved only you're not an absolute
devil, that's all. You've not proved yourself a real man--not yet. Do
you think it paid your debt to Carnac Grier that you helped get him into
Parliament?"
His face became a little heated. "I'll prove to you and to the world
that I'm not an absolute devil in the Grier interests. I didn't steal
the property. I tried to induce John Grier to leave it to Carnac or his
mother, for if he'd left it to Mrs. Grier it would have come to Carnac.
He did not do it that way, though. He left it to me. Was I to blame for
that?"
"Perhaps not, but you could have taken Carnac in, or given up the
property to him--the rightful owner. You could have done that.
But you were thinking of yourself altogether."
"Not altogether. In the first place, I am bound to keep my word to John
Grier. Besides, if Carnac had inherited, the property would have got
into difficulties--there were things only John Grier and I understood,
and Carnac would have been floored."
"Wouldn't you still have been there?"
"Who knows! Who can tell! Maybe not!"
"Carnac Grier is a very able man."
"But of the ablest. He'll be a success in Parliament. He'll play a big
part; he won't puddle about.
Pages:
90
91
92
93
94
95
96
97
98
99
100
101
102
103
104
105
106
107
108
109
110
111
112
113
114