And if you know where
he's sneaking- I daresay you do- you may tell him to spare himself the
journey o' coming back home. Let him turn ostler, and keep himself. He
shan't hang on me any more.'
'I don't know where he is, sir; and if I did, it isn't my place
to tell him to keep away,' said Godfrey, moving towards the door.
'Confound it, sir, don't stay arguing, but go and order my
horse,' said the Squire, taking up a pipe.
Godfrey left the room, hardly knowing whether he were more relieved
by the sense that the interview was ended without having made any
change in his position, or more uneasy that he had entangled himself
still further in prevarication and deceit. What had passed about his
proposing to Nancy had raised a new alarm, lest by some after-dinner
words of his father's to Mr Lammeter he should be thrown into the
embarrassment of being obliged to absolutely decline her when she
seemed to be within his reach. He fled to his usual refuge, that of
hoping for some unforeseen turn of fortune, some favourable chance
which would save him from unpleasant consequences- perhaps even
"justify his insincerity by manifesting its prudence. And in this
point of trusting to some throw of fortune's dice, Godfrey can
hardly be called specially old-fashioned. Favourable Chance, I
fancy, is the god of all men who follow their own devices instead of
obeying a law they believe in.
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