great shock of the disclosure had
taken place when it did. She, for her part, wondered at her own cowardliness in
having even striven to keep back the truth from her child - the truth that was
so certain to be made clear, sooner or later, and which it was only owing to
God's mercy that she was alive to encounter with him, and, by so encountering,
shield and give him good courage. Moreover, in her secret heart, she was
thankful that all occurred while he was yet too young to have much curiosity as
to his father. If an unsatisfied feeling of this kind occasionally stole into
his mind, at any rate she never heard any expression of it; for the past was a
sealed book between them. And so, in the bright strength of good endeavour, the
days went on, and grew again to months and years.
    Perhaps one little circumstance which occurred during this time had scarcely
external importance enough to be called an event; but in Mr. Benson's mind it
took rank as such. One day, about a year after Richard Bradshaw had ceased to be
a partner in his father's house, Mr. Benson encountered Mr. Farquhar in the
street, and heard from him of the creditable and respectable manner in which
Richard was conducting himself in Glasgow, where Mr. Farquhar had lately been on
business.
    »I am determined to tell his father of this,« said he; »I think his family
are far too obedient to his tacit prohibition of all mention of Richard's name.«
    »Tacit prohibition?« inquired Mr. Benson.
    »Oh! I dare say I use the words in a wrong sense for the correctness of a
scholar; but what I mean is, that he made a point of immediately leaving the
room if Richard's name was mentioned; and did it in so marked a manner, that by
degrees they understood that it was their father's desire that he should never
be alluded to; which was all very well as long as there was nothing pleasant to
be said about him; but to- I am going there, and shall take good care he does
not escape me before I have told him all I have heard and observed about
Richard. He will never be a hero of virtue, for his education has drained him of
all moral courage; but with care, and the absence of all strong temptation for a
time, he will do very well; nothing to gratify paternal pride, but certainly
nothing to be ashamed of.«
    It was on the Sunday