If he had not a penny he would
still be a very kind-hearted, pleasant gentleman."
Old McIntyre burst into a hoarse laugh.
"I like to hear you preach," said he. "Without a penny, indeed! Do you
think that you would dance attendance upon him if he were a poor man?
Do you think that Laura would ever have looked twice at him? You know
as well as I do that she is marrying him only for his money."
Robert gave a cry of dismay. There was the alchemist standing in the
doorway, pale and silent, looking from one to the other of them with his
searching eyes.
"I must apologise," he said coldly. "I did not mean to listen to your
words. I could not help it. But I have heard them. As to you, Mr.
McIntyre, I believe that you speak from your own bad heart. I will not
let myself be moved by your words. In Robert I have a true friend.
Laura also loves me for my own sake. You cannot shake my faith in them.
But with you, Mr. McIntyre, I have nothing in common; and it is as well,
perhaps, that we should both recognise the fact."
He bowed, and was gone ere either of the McIntyres could say a word.
"You see!" said Robert at last. "You have done now what you cannot
undo!"
"I will be even with him!" cried the old man furiously, shaking his fist
through the window at the dark slow-pacing figure.
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