'
'Then you shall stay,' said Mr. Audley.
'You have worked upon him, I see, sir, with your old-world prejudiced
superstition,' said Alfred Travis, evidently under the delusion that
he was keeping his temper. 'A proper fool my brother was to leave him
to you. But you do it at your peril. I shall see if there's power
even in this old country to keep a boy from his own relations. You'll
see me again, Fernan. You had better make ready.'
The words were not unaccompanied with expletives such as had never
been personally uttered to Charles Audley before, and that brought
the hot colour to his cheek. When he looked round, Fernando's face
was covered with his hands. 'Oh! Mr. Audley,' he cried, as his uncle
hastily shut the door, 'is he going to send for the police?'
'I do not believe he can do any such thing,' said Mr. Audley, seeing
that Fernando was in great nervous agitation. 'I have authority from
your father, he has none; and you are old enough to make your own
decision. You really mean and wish to stay?' he added.
'I told him so from the first,' said Fernando.
'Then he has no power to force you away.'
Fernando was silent. Then he said, 'If I could have gone after my
Baptism.
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