"I must say," he concluded, "that the whole thing simply beats me."

"But what does Lord Radclyffe say now?"

"Nothing."

"How do you mean nothing?"

"Just what I say. He won't talk about the thing. He won't discuss it.
He won't answer any question which I put to him. 'My dear boy, the man
is a palpable, impudent impostor, a blackmailer' and that's all I can
get out of him."

"He won't see the man?"

"Won't hear of it."

"And won't he let his solicitor--Mr. Dobson, isn't it?--meet the other
lawyer?"

"He says he wouldn't dream of wasting old Dobson's time."

"Then what's going to happen?"

"I don't see," he said, "what is going to happen."

"Won't you have a talk about it all with Mr. Dobson, and see what he
says?"

"I can't very well do that. Strictly speaking it's none of my
business--as yet. I couldn't consult Uncle Rad's lawyers, without
Uncle Rad's consent."

"Another one then."

He shrugged his shoulders, obviously undecided what to do. He had
thought very little about himself or his future in all this: his
thoughts had dwelt mostly on Lord Radclyffe--father, mother, brother,
sister to them all. Bless him! And then he had thought of her. He
looked round him with eyes that scarcely saw, for they really were
turned inward to his own simple soul, and to his loving heart. Right
up against that very simplicity of soul, a duty stood clear and
uncompromising. A duty yet to be performed, the real aim and end of
all that he had said so far. But he did not know how best to perform
such a duty.

Simple souls--unlike the complex psychological phenomena of modern
times--are apt to be selfless, to think more of the feelings of
others, than of analyzing their own various sensations; and Luke knew
that what he considered his duty would not be quite so obvious to
Louisa, and that by fulfilling it he would give her pain.

CHAPTER V

JUST AN OBVIOUS DUTY

But it was she who gave him an opening.

"Luke," she said, "it's all very well, but the matter does concern you
in a way; far more so, in fact, than it does Lord Radclyffe. Nothing
can make any difference to Lord Radclyffe, but if what this young man
asserts is all true, then it will make a world of difference to you."

"I know that. That's just the trouble."

"You were thinking of yourself?"

"No. I was thinking of you."

"Of me?"

"Yes," he said now very abruptly, quite roughly and crudely, not
choosing his words lest they helped to bet