"Yes: I had better," said Pratt. "Otherwise you may be seen. Mr Dale
would have his eye upon you, and there would be a row in the house."
There was a smile of sarcasm on Pratt's face as he spoke which
angered Crosbie even in his misery, and made him long to tell his
friend that he would not trouble him with this mission,--that he
would manage his own affairs himself; but he was weakened and
mentally humiliated by the sense of his own rascality, and had
already lost the power of asserting himself, and of maintaining his
ascendancy. He was beginning to recognise the fact that he had done
that for which he must endure to be kicked, to be kicked morally if
not materially; and that it was no longer possible for him to hold
his head up without shame.
Pratt took Mr Dale's note in his hand and went down into the
stranger's room. There he found the squire standing, so that he could
see through the open door of the room to the foot of the stairs down
which Crosbie must descend before he could leave the club. As a
measure of first precaution the ambassador closed the door; then he
bowed to Mr Dale, and asked him if he would take a chair.
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