You will know best whether it would be worth your
while to force me to do this. I simply state the position."
He waited for Henshaw's answer. The man was plainly cornered and seemed
to be divided between a desire to let Gifford go on and place himself in
a dangerous situation, and the more expedient course of raising a scandal
which would touch him as well as disgrace his dead brother.
"This is a clever piece of bluff, Mr. Gifford," he said at
length; "but--"
"It is no bluff at all," Gifford interrupted firmly. "I am merely
determined to take the obvious course to save Miss Morriston from
something a good deal worse than annoyance. I have no wish to discredit
the dead, but I must remind you that the persecution of Miss Morriston by
your brother had gone on for a very considerable time, and had latterly
developed into an atrocious system of bullying. It is not an occasion for
mincing one's expressions, and I must say that in my opinion your own
conduct has been very little, if any, better; and that will be the
judgment of every decent man if the truth comes out, as come out it
shall, unless you agree to my terms before you leave this room.
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