Lilias, Chapters XI-XV [pp. 257-269]

Lilias.
themselves amenable." And he looked
to see what effect this would have.
"How?" asked Mr. Goodley.
"You slander my son. DI)o you suppose that you shall do so with impunity?"
"And do you suppose that I fear or
care for you or your son either, sir?"
"You flatly charge my son with being
a seducer, without any grounds for your
charge "
"Without any grounds, sir?"
"Well, what are your grounds for such
a charge?"
Mr. Goodley made no reply, except to
look him in the face.
"The condition," Mr. Dalzell went on,
"of a low creature, who imposes herself
upon your credulity with a story, piteous
enough, no doubt, corroborated by the
exhibition of a letter made up for the occasion."
Mr. Dalzell showed plainly enough that
if there were any other grounds he would
like to know what they were. Htis manner during this whole interview may be
explained by the fact that, besides John
Winthrop's visit to his house, and his
strange questions, he had about a week
since received a letter from his old schoolmaster who resided in the neighborhood
of Mrs. Winthrop's, the gentleman with
whom George had been studying, in
which he had been informed of Biddy's
sudden disappearance; and further, that
there was much excitement created in
that neighborhood upon the subject, owing to or rather rendered more intense by
peculiar circumstances of a sad nature,
which will be presently related. Since
the reception of this letter, confused and
indistinct fears had occasionally haunted
his mind. A prosecution for seduction
and abduction, would ruin his son forever
in more respects than one. He trusted
however that the affair would blow over,
and that the girl's obscurity would save
his son.
Mr. Goodley was a plain, simple old
man in his manners and in his habits of
thought, but he had no little natural sagacity, and it was evident enough that
Mr. Dalzell, though he sought to conceal it, was not only very much interested in this interview, but that he was
endeavoring to gain all the information
he could. Though not a little excited, occasionally, Mr. Goodley was determined to baulk him in this. Mr. Dalzell, too, had aroused his contempt. So
he said abruptly:
"It is useless to say more, I see. Therefore I will close this interview by repeating everything I have said of your
son, and adding, for your especial benefit,
that according to my belief, the father is
no better than the son."
"You are an old man, MIr. What's-yourname?- "
"Yet in all my life I never had my
contempt so thoroughly aroused by any
one who pretended to be a gentleman."
"Yes," said Mr. Dalzell, "this interview must be closed, for while you are
the most hot-headed, silly old fool I ever
saw, yet I must not forget that you are
an old one," as touching his horse with
the spur, he moved off.
As he did so, old Mr. Goodley impotently threw a small switch, which he
held in his hand, at him with all his
might.
"Blame my skin! Blame me if I don't
wish I had my old black-haw cane! I
could rattle it about his head with right
good will. Ah, well! Come Woodchuck! my boy, I suppose we are in the
right way;-at any rate, we would not
have that rascal to tell us how to go. A
precious rascal! It is no wonder that
his son should be what he is, as I told
him. Ha! ha! ha!-I'm glad I told
him that."
CHAPTER XV.
WHO WAS LILIAS?
Leaving old Mr. Goodley to pursue his
journey alone, we turn to Lilias; and as
the question-who was Lilias? arises,
we will briefly relate all that was known
of her.
Henry Burnot, aftershis marriage with
the daughter of Yaj. Enderby, soon sunk
by his licentious excesses to the extremes
of degradation and infamy. In spite of
several acts of dishonesty and petty vil
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