And then
he read the letter through again, and found that there was no word
about the old bill--not a syllable, at least, as to its whereabouts.
Sowerby did not even say that it would remain in his own hands. Mark
did not in truth know much about such things. It might be that the
very fact of his signing this second document would render that first
document null and void; and from Sowerby's silence on the subject, it
might be argued that this was so well known to be the case, that he
had not thought of explaining it. But yet Mark could not see how this
should be so. But what was he to do? That threat of cost and lawyers,
and specially of the newspapers, did have its effect upon him--as
no doubt it was intended to do. And then he was utterly dumbfounded
by Sowerby's impudence in drawing on him for L500 instead of L400,
"covering," as Sowerby so good-humouredly said, "sundry little
outstanding trifles."
But at last he did sign the bill, and sent it off, as Sowerby had
directed. What else was he to do? Fool that he was. A man always can
do right, even though he has done wrong before. But that previous
wrong adds so much difficulty to the path--a difficulty which
increases in tremendous ratio, till a man at last is choked in his
struggling, and is drowned beneath the waters.
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