Come, John."
They left the master of the house with the rector. Rivers looked at the
clock, "I think I must go. I do not stand late hours. If I let the day
capture the night, the day after is apt to find me dull."
"Well, stand it this once, Mark. I hate councils of war or peace without
the pipe, and now, imagine it, my dear wife wanted me to smoke, and that
was all along of that terrible spittoon and the long-expected cousin of
whom I have heard from time to time. _Les absens n'out pas toujours
tort_. Now smoke and don't watch the clock. I said this abominable
business was to be closed out--"
"And is it not?" asked Rivers.
"No. I do not talk about Peter Lamb to my wife, because she thinks my
helping him so often has done the man more harm than good. It was not
Grey alone who was responsible. He told Mrs. Penhallow that Peter had
sent him to Josiah's shop. He told Grey too that Josiah must be a runaway
slave and that any one would know him by his having lost two fingers.
That at once set Grey on this mischievous track."
"I am only too sure that you are right," returned Rivers. "Peter tried a
very futile blackmailing trick on Josiah. He wanted to get whisky, and
told the poor negro that he must get it for him or he would let his
master know where he was.
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