I'm going to engage Sabina as nurse and
general servant. Now that Simpkins is going, Doyle can get that
red-haired girl, Sabina's cousin. She'll do him quite well for all he
wants. And he never properly appreciated Sabina. Shall we regard that
as settled?"
"I suppose it will be all right."
"Quite," said Meldon. "You may safely leave it in my hands. And now,
Major, since everything has worked out in such a satisfactory way for
you, I hope you'll try and feel more kindly towards poor Simpkins.
He'll suffer a lot as it is; and I don't think you ought to make any
further attempt on his life. I always thought you were going too far
in your resentment."
"J. J., I really--"
"The judge will let you fish anywhere you like; so that you haven't a
ghost of a grievance left."
"I'll ask Simpkins to the wedding if you like."
"That," said Meldon, "would be a refinement of cruelty, and I won't
consent to its being done. Wanting to kill the man was bad enough. I
never liked it. But what you propose now is infinitely worse. Why
can't you forgive the wretched creature, and then forget all about him?"
* * * * * *
It was half-past twelve o'clock.
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