I wanted to trace the effect of your
long period of isolation upon your subsequent actions. I entered upon
my duties--how you must have smiled at me behind my back! Never was a
man more completely and absolutely deceived. I lived with you, was
always by your side, I was there professedly to study your actions and
the method of them. And yet you found it a perfectly simple matter to
hoodwink me whenever you chose!"
"In what respect?" Wingrave asked calmly.
"Every respect!" Aynesworth answered. "Let me tell you two things
which happened to me yesterday. I met a young New York stockbroker,
named Nesbitt, in London, and in common with all London, I suppose, by
this time, I learnt the secret of all those anonymous contributions to
the hospitals and other charitable causes during the last year."
"Go on," Wingrave said.
"I have come here on purpose to tell you what I think you are,"
Aynesworth said. "You are the greatest hypocrite unhanged. You affect
to hate your fellows and to love evil-doers. You deceived the whole
world, and you deceived me. I know you now for what you are. You
conceived your evil plans, but when the time came for carrying them
out, you funked it every time. You had that silly little woman on the
steamer in your power, and you yourself, behind your own back,
released her with that Marconigram to her husband, sent by yourself.
You brought the boy Nesbitt face to face with ruin, and to his face
you offered him no mercy.
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