So, not to throw a
chance away, he had the sense and the resolution to devote a few days to
health and unwholesome meditation.
This is a discordant world: even vices will not always pull the same
way. Here was a sinister villain distracted between avarice and revenge,
and sore puzzled which way to turn. Of course he could expose the real
parentage of Mary Bartley, and put both Bartley and Hope to shame, and
then the Cliffords would make Bartley disgorge the L20,000. But he,
Monckton, would not make a shilling by that, and it would be a weak
revenge on Bartley, who could now spare L20,000, and no revenge at all on
Hope, for Hope was now well-to-do, and would most likely be glad to get
his daughter back. Then, on the other hand, he could easily frighten
Bartley into giving him L5000 to keep dark, but in that case he must
forego his vengeance on Hope.
This difficulty had tormented Monckton all along; but now Mrs. Dawson had
revealed another obstacle. Young Clifford and Mary in love with each
other. What Mrs.
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