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repeat either to man or woman what—even if it have any
degree of truth in it— is yet a malicious representation?’
Caleb’s wrath was stirred, and he said, indignantly—
‘Why should I have said it if I didn’t mean it? I am in no
fear of you. Such tales as that will never tempt my tongue.’
‘Excuse me—I am agitated—I am the victim of this aban-
doned man.’
‘Stop a bit! you have got to consider whether you didn’t
help to make him worse, when you profited by his vices.’
‘You are wronging me by too readily believing him,’ said
Bulstrode, oppressed, as by a nightmare, with the inability
to deny flatly what Raffles might have said; and yet feeling
it an escape that Caleb had not so stated it to him as to ask
for that flat denial.
‘No,’ said Caleb, lifting his hand deprecatingly; ‘I am
ready to believe better, when better is proved. I rob you of
no good chance. As to speaking, I hold it a crime to expose
a man’s sin unless I’m clear it must be done to save the inno-
cent. That is my way of thinking, Mr. Bulstrode, and what I
say, I’ve no need to swear. I wish you good-day.’
Some hours later, when he was at home, Caleb said to
his wife, incidentally, that he had had some little differences
with Bulstrode, and that in consequence, he had given up
all notion of taking Stone Court, and indeed had resigned
doing further business for him.
‘He was disposed to interfere too much, was he?’ said
Mrs. Garth, imagining that her husband had been touched
on his sensitive point, and not been allowed to do what he
thought right as to materials and modes of work.

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