He asked about the
attorney and took down Bearside's address. After that he shook
hands with both of them, and then made his way back to Bragton
through Mr. Twentyman's farm.
Mr. and Mrs. Goarly were left in a state of great perturbation of
mind. They could not in the least make out among themselves who the
gentleman was, or whether he had come for good or evil. That he
called himself Gotobed Goarly did remember, and also that he had
said that he was an American. All that which had referred to
senatorial honours and the State of Mickewa had been lost upon
Goarly. The question of course arose whether he was not a spy sent
out by Lord Rufford's man of business, and Mrs. Goarly was clearly
of opinion that such had been the nature of his employment. Had he
really been a friend, she suggested, he would have left a sovereign
behind him. "He didn't get no information from me," said Goarly.
"Only about Mr. Bearside."
"What's the odds of that? They all knows that. Bearside! Why should
I be ashamed of Bearside? I'll do a deal better with Bearside than
I would with that old woman, Masters."
"But he took it down in writing, Dan."
"What the d--'s the odds in that?"
"I don't like it when they puts it down in writing."
"Hold your jaw," said Goarly as he slowly shouldered the dung-fork
to take it back to his work.
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