CHAPTER LIII.

THE BEGINNING OF THE LAST PLOT.

When Mr. Scarborough had written the check and sent it to Mr. Grey, he did not utter another word on the subject of gambling.  “Let us make another beginning,” he said, as he told his son to make out another check for sixty pounds as his first instalment of the allowance.

“I do not like to take it,” said the son.

“I don’t think you need be scrupulous now with me.”  That was early in the morning, at their first interview, about ten o’clock.  Later on in the day Mr. Scarborough saw his son again, and on this occasion kept him in the room some time.  “I don’t suppose I shall last much longer now,” he said.

“Your voice is as strong as I ever heard it.”

“But unfortunately my body does not keep pace with my voice.  From what Merton says, I don’t suppose there is above a month left.”

“I don’t see why Merton is to know.”

“Merton is a good fellow; and if you can do anything for him, do it for my sake.”

“I will.”  Then he added, after a pause, “If things go as we expect, Augustus can do more for him than I. Why don’t you leave him a sum of money?”

Then Miss Scarborough came into the room, and hovered about her brother, and fed him, and entreated him to be silent; but when she had gone he went back to the subject.  “I will tell you why, Mountjoy.  I have not wished to load my will with other considerations,—­so that it might be seen that solicitude for you has been in my last moments my only thought.  Of course I have done you a deep injury.”

“I think you have.”

“And because you tell me so I like you all the better.  As for Augustus—­But I will not burden my spirit now, at the last, with uttering curses against my own son.”

“He is not worth it.”

“No, he is not worth it.  What a fool he has been not to have understood me better!  Now, you are not half as clever a fellow as he is.”

“I dare say not.”

“You never read a book, I suppose?”

“I don’t pretend to read them, which he does.”

“I don’t know anything about that;—­but he has been utterly unable to read me.  I have poured out my money with open hands for both of you.”

“That is true, sir, certainly, as regards me.”

“And have thought nothing of it.  Till it was quite hopeless with you I went on, and would have gone on.  As things were then, I was bound to do something to save the property.”

“These poor devils have put themselves out of the running now,” said Mountjoy.

“Yes; Augustus with his suspicions has enabled us to do that.  After all, he was quite right with his suspicions.”

“What do you mean by that, sir?”