Page:The Van Roon (IA thevanroon00snaiiala).pdf/284

 "What have you to say to that, Mr. Gedge?" asked Sir Arthur.

The heart of William seemed to miss a beat while he waited painfully for the answer to this question. To one of his primitive nature, his whole life, past, present and future seemed to turn upon the old man's next words; and a kind of slow agony overcame him, as he realized what these words were in all their cynical wickedness.

"The Van Roon is mine, sir," said S. Gedge Antiques, in a voice, strong, definite and calm. "It was bought with my money."

Sir Arthur fixed upon the stupefied William an interrogating eye. In his own mind he felt sure that this must be the fact of the matter, yet it was hard to believe that a young man who seemed to be openness itself was deliberately lying. "What do you say?" he asked gently.

William was too shocked to say anything. His master took a full advantage of the pause which followed. "Come, boy," he said, in a tone of kindly expostulation, "you know as well as I do that you were given the money to buy a few things down in Suffolk in the ordinary way of business on your week's holiday and that this little thing was one of your purchases."

Sadly the young man shook his head. The cold falsehood was heavier upon him than a blow from the old man's fist would have been, yet it roused him to the point of blunt denial. Quite simply he set forth the true facts.

"The master gave me twenty pounds to attend a sale by auction at Loseby Grange, Saxmundham, and I