Old Twyne was cautious, even in his cups, in his choice of an audience, and was a little enigmatical in his revelations.  For he was afraid of Sir Bale, though he hated him for employing a lawyer who lived seven miles away, and was a rival.  So people were not quite sure whether Mr. Twyne was telling lies or truth, and the principal fact that corroborated his story was Sir Bale’s manifest hatred of his secretary.  In fact, Sir Bale’s retaining him in his house, detesting him as he seemed to do, was not easily to be accounted for, except on the principle of a tacit compromise—­a miserable compensation for having robbed him of his rights.

The battle about the bank-note proceeded.  Sir Bale certainly had doubts, and vacillated; for moral evidence made powerfully in favour of poor Feltram, though the evidence of circumstance made as powerfully against him.  But Sir Bale admitted suspicion easily, and in weighing probabilities would count a virtue very lightly against temptation and opportunity; and whatever his doubts might sometimes be, he resisted and quenched them, and never let that ungrateful scoundrel Philip Feltram so much as suspect their existence.

For two days Sir Bale had not spoken to Feltram.  He passed by on stair and passage, carrying his head high, and with a thundrous countenance, rolling conclusions and revenges in his soul.

Poor Feltram all this time existed in one long agony.  He would have left Mardykes, were it not that he looked vaguely to some just power—­to chance itself—­against this hideous imputation.  To go with this indictment ringing in his ears, would amount to a confession and flight.

Mrs. Julaper consoled him with might and main.  She was a sympathetic and trusting spirit, and knew poor Philip Feltram, in her simplicity, better than the shrewdest profligate on earth could have known him.  She cried with him in his misery.  She was fired with indignation by these suspicions, and still more at what followed.

Sir Bale showed no signs of relenting.  It might have been that he was rather glad of so unexceptionable an opportunity of getting rid of Feltram, who, people thought, knew something which it galled the Baronet’s pride that he should know.

The Baronet had another shorter and sterner interview with Feltram in his study.  The result was, that unless he restored the missing note before ten o’clock next morning, he should leave Mardykes.

To leave Mardykes was no more than Philip Feltram, feeble as he was of will, had already resolved.  But what was to become of him?  He did not very much care, if he could find any calling, however humble, that would just give him bread.