It became an immediate question whether Abel might, or might not, be saved from the punishment he had deserved.  Beyond that rose another problem, not less important, and his father doubted whether, for the child’s own sake, it would be well to intervene.  Waldron strongly agreed with him; but Estelle did not, and she used her great influence on the side of intervention.  Miss Ironsyde and Ernest Churchouse were also of her opinion.  Indeed, all concerned, save his mother and Arthur Waldron, begged Raymond to interfere, if possible.

He did not decide immediately.

“The boy will be sent to a reformatory for five years if I do nothing,” he told Estelle, “and that’s probably the very best thing on earth that can happen to him.  It will put the fear of God into him and possibly obliterate his hate of me.  He’s bad all through, I’m afraid.”

“No he isn’t—­far from it.  That’s the point,” she argued.  “These things are a legacy—­a hateful legacy from his grandmother.  Mister Churchouse knows him far better than anybody else, and he says there is great sensibility and power of feeling in him.  He’s tender to animals.”

“That’s not much good if he’s going to be tough to me.  Tell me why his mother doesn’t come to me about him.”

“Mister Churchouse says she’s in a strange state and doesn’t seem to care.  She told him the sins of the fathers were being visited on the children.”

“The sins of the fathers are being visited on the fathers, I should think.”

“That’s fair at any rate,” she said.  “I know just how you must feel.  You’ve been so patient, Ray, and taken such a lot of trouble.  But I believe it’s all part of the fate that links you to the child.  His future is made your business now, whether you will or no.  It is thrust upon you.  Nobody but you would be listened to by the law; but you can give an undertaking and do something to save him from the horror of a reformatory.”

Estelle and Raymond were having tea together at ‘The Seven Stars’ during this conversation.  Her father was returning home to Bridport by an evening train and she had driven to meet him.  Nelly Legg waited upon them, and knowing the matter occupied many tongues, Raymond spoke to her.

“You can guess this is a puzzler, Nelly,” he said.  “What would you do?  Miss Waldron says it’s up to me to try and get the boy off; but the question is shall I be serving him best that way?”

“My husband and me have gone over it,” she confessed; “of course, everybody has done so.  You can’t pretend the people aren’t interested, and if one has asked Job his opinion, a hundred have.  People bring him their puzzles and troubles as a sort of habit.  From a finger ache to the loss of a fortune they pour their difficulties into his wise head, and for patience he’s a very good second to the first of the name.  And I may tell you a curious thing, Mister Raymond, for I’ve seen it happen.  As the folks talk and talk to Legg, they get more and more cheerful and he gets more and more depressed.  Then, after they’ve let off all their woes on the man, sometimes they’ll have the grace to apologise and say it’s too bad to give him such a dose.  And they always wind up by assuring him he’s done them a world of good; but they never stop to think what they have done to him.”