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Page 96
"None of us--especially people in our position--can afford
to ignore rumours and common talk," said Mrs. Folliot in
her loftiest manner. "If we are, unfortunately, talked
about, then it is our solemn, bounden duty to put ourselves
right in the eyes of our friends--and of society. If I for
instance, my dear, heard anything affecting my--let me say,
moral-character, I should take steps, the most stringent,
drastic, and forceful steps, to put matters to the test. I
would not remain under a stigma--no, not for one minute!"
"I hope you will never have occasion to rehabilitate your
moral character, Mrs. Folliot," remarked Mary, bending
closely over her work. "Such a necessity would indeed
be dreadful."
"And yet you do not insist--yes, insist!--on Dr. Ransford's
taking strong steps to clear himself!" exclaimed Mrs. Folliot.
"Now that, indeed, is a dreadful necessity!"
"Dr. Ransford," answered Mary, "is quite able to defend and to
take care of himself. It is not for me to tell him what to
do, or even to advise him what to do. And--since you will
talk of this matter, I tell you frankly, Mrs. Folliot, that I
don't believe any decent person in Wrychester has the least
suspicion or doubt of Dr. Ransford. His denial of any share
or complicity in those sad affairs--the mere idea of it as
ridiculous as it's wicked--was quite sufficient. You know
very well that at that second inquest he said--on oath, too
--that he knew nothing of these affairs. I repeat, there
isn't a decent soul in the city doubts that!"
"Oh, but you're quite wrong!" said Mrs. Folliot, hurriedly.
"Quite wrong, I assure you, my dear. Of course, everybody
knows what Dr. Ransford said--very excitedly, poor man, I'm
given to understand on the occasion you refer to, but then,
what else could he have said in his own interest? What people
want is the proof of his innocence. I could--but I won't
--tell you of many of the very best people who are--well, very
much exercised over the matter--I could indeed!"
"Do you count yourself among them?" asked Mary in a cold
fashion which would have been a warning to any one but her
visitor. "Am I to understand that, Mrs. Folliot?"
"Certainly not, my dear," answered Mrs. Folliot promptly.
"Otherwise I should not have done what I have done towards
establishing the foolish man's innocence!"
Mary dropped her work and turned a pair of astonished eyes on
Mrs. Folliot's large countenance.
"You!" she exclaimed. "To establish--Dr. Ransford's
innocence? Why, Mrs. Folliot, what have you done?"
Mrs. Folliot toyed a little with the jewelled head of her
sunshade. Her expression became almost coy.
"Oh, well!" she answered after a brief spell of indecision.
"Perhaps it is as well that you should know, Miss Bewery. Of
course, when all this sad trouble was made far worse by that
second affair--the working-man's death, you know, I said to my
husband that really one must do something, seeing that Dr.
Ransford was so very, very obdurate and wouldn't speak. And
as money is nothing--at least as things go--to me or to Mr.
Folliot, I insisted that he should offer a thousand pounds
reward to have the thing cleared up. He's a generous and
open-handed man, and he agreed with me entirely, and put the
thing in hand through his solicitors. And nothing would
please us more, my dear, than to have that thousand pounds
claimed! For of course, if there is to be--as I suppose there
is--a union between our families, it would be utterly
impossible that any cloud could rest on Dr. Ransford, even if
he is only your guardian. My son's future wife cannot, of
course--"
Mary laid down her work again and for a full minute stared
Mrs. Folliot in the face.
"Mrs. Folliot!" she said at last. "Are you under the
impression that I'm thinking of marrying your son?"
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