Sir Jasper Carew Part 10

"Carew's performance of the character is better still,--it is real; it is palpable." Then, suddenly carried beyond himself by a burst of pa.s.sion, he cried: "Now, is it possible that your heavy browed Duke fancies a country can be ruled in this wise? Does he believe that a little flattery here, a little bribery there, some calumny to separate friends, some gossip to sow dissension amongst intimates, a promise of place, a t.i.tle or a pension thrown to the hungry hounds that yelp, and bark, and fawn about a Court,--that this means government, or that these men are the nation?"

"You have overturned the sugar-bowl," observed Cotterell.

"Better than to upset the country," said the other, with a contemptuous look at his stolid companion. "I tell you what it is, Cotterell," added he, gravely, "these English had might and power on their side, and had they rested their strength on them, they might defy us, for we are the weaker party; but they have condescended to try other weapons, and would encounter us with subtlety, intrigue, and cabal. Now, mark my words: we may not live to see it, but the time will come when their scheme will recoil upon themselves; for we are their equals,--ay, more than their equals,--with such arms as these! Fools that they are, not to see that if they destroy the influence of the higher cla.s.ses, the people will elect leaders from their own ranks; and, instead of having to fight Popery alone, the day is not distant when they 'll have to combat democracy too. Will not the tune be changed then?"

"It must always be 'G.o.d save the King,' sir, on birthdays," said Cotterell, who was satisfied if he either caught or comprehended the last words of any discourse.

It is difficult to say whether the Grinder's temper could have much longer endured these a.s.saults of stupidity, but for the sudden appearance of Raper, who, coming stealthily forward, whispered a few words in f.a.gan's ear.

"Did you say here?--here?" asked f.a.gan, eagerly.

"Yes, sir," replied Raper; "below in the office."

"But why there? Why not show him upstairs? No, no, you 're right," added he, with a most explanatory glance towards his guest. "I must leave you for a few minutes, Cotterell. Take care of yourself till I come back;"

and with this apology he arose, and followed Raper downstairs.

The visitor, who sat on one of the high office-stools, dressed in the first fashion of the day, slapped his boot impatiently with his cane, and did not even remove his hat as f.a.gan entered, contenting himself with a slight touch of the finger to its leaf for salutation.

"Sorry to disturb you, f.a.gan," said he, half cavalierly; "but being in town late this evening, and knowing the value of even five minutes'

personal intercourse, I have dropped in to say,--what I have so often said in the same place,--I want money."

"Grieved to hear it, Mr. Carew," was the grave, sententious reply.

"I don't believe you, Tony. When a man can lend, as you can, on his own terms, he 's never very sorry to hear of the occasion for his services."

"Cash is scarce, sir."

"So I have always found it, Tony; but, like everything else, one gets it by paying for. I 'm willing to do so, and now, what's the rate,--ten, fifteen, or are you Patriarch enough to need twenty per cent?"

"I'm not sure that I could oblige you, even on such terms, Mr. Carew.

There is a long outstanding, unsettled account between us. There is a very considerable balance due to me. There are, in fact, dealings between us which call for a speedy arrangement."

"And which are very unlikely to be favored with it, Tony. Now, I have n't a great deal of time to throw away, for I'm off to the country to-night, so that pray let us understand each other at once. I shall need, before Monday next, a sum of not less than eight thousand pounds.

Hacket, my man of law, will show you such securities as I possess. Call on him, and take your choice of them. I desire that our negotiation should be strictly a matter between ourselves, because we live in gossiping times, and I don't care to amuse the town with my private affairs. Are you satisfied with this?"

"Eight thousand, in bills, of course, sir?"

"If you wish it!"

"At what dates?"

"The longer the better."

"Shall we say in two sums of four thousand each,--six months and nine?"

"With all my heart. When can I touch the coin?"

"Now, sir; this moment if you desire it."

"Write the check, then, Tony," said he, hurriedly.

"There, sir, there are the bills for your signature," said f.a.gan. "Will you have the goodness to give me a line to Hacket about the securities?"

"Of course," said he; and he at once wrote the note required. "Now for another point, Tony: I am going to ask a favor of you. Are you in a gracious mood this evening?"

The appeal was sudden enough to be disconcerting, and so f.a.gan felt it, for he looked embarra.s.sed and confused in no ordinary degree.

"Come, I see I shall not be refused," said my father, who at once saw that the only course was the bold one. "It is this: we are expecting some friends to spend a few days with us at Castle Carew, a kind of house-warming to that new wing; we have done our best to gather around us whatever our good city boasts of agreeability and beauty, and with tolerable success. There is, I may say, but one wanting to make our triumph complete. With her presence I 'd wager a thousand guineas that no country mansion in Great Britain could contest the palm with us."

f.a.gan grew deadly pale as he listened, then flushed deeply, and a second time a sickly hue crept over his features as, in a voice barely above a whisper, he said,--

"You mean my daughter, sir?"

"Of course I do, Tony. A man need n't read riddles to know who is the handsomest girl in Dublin. I hope you 'll not deny us the favor of her company. My wife will meet her at Bray; she'll come into town, if you prefer it, and take her up here."

"Oh, no, sir; not here," said f.a.gan, hurriedly, who, whatever plans he might be forming in his mind, quickly saw the inconvenience of such a step.

"It shall be as you please in every respect, f.a.gan. Now, on Tuesday morning--"

"Not so fast, sir,--not so fast," said f.a.gan, calmly. "You have n't given me time for much reflection now; and the very little thought I have bestowed on the matter suggests grave doubts to me. n.o.body knows better than Mr. Carew that a wide gulf separates our walk in life from his; that however contented with our lot in this world, it is a very humble one--"

"Egad! I like such humility. The man who can draw a check for ten thousand at sight, and yet never detect any remarkable alteration in his banker's book, ought to be proud of the philosophy that teaches him contentment. Tony, my worthy friend, don't try to mystify me. You know, and you 'd be a fool if you did n't know, that with your wealth and your daughter's beauty you have only to choose the station she will occupy.

There is but one way you can possibly defeat her success, and that is by estranging her from the world, and withdrawing her from all intercourse with society. I can't believe that this is your intention; I can scarcely credit that it could be her wish. Let us, then, have the honor of introducing her to that rank, the very highest position in which she would grace and dignify. I ask it as a favor,--the very greatest you can bestow on us."

"No, sir; it cannot be. It's impossible, utterly impossible."

"I am really curious to know upon what grounds, for I confess they are a secret to me!"

"So they must remain, then, sir, if you cannot persuade me to open more of my heart than I am in the habit of doing with comparative strangers.

I can be very grateful for the honor you intend me, Mr. Carew; but the best way to be so is, probably, not to accompany that feeling with any sense of personal humiliation!"

"You are certainly not bent on giving me any clew to your motives, f.a.gan."

"I'm sorry for it, sir; but frankness to you might be great unfairness to myself."

"More riddles, Tony, and I 'm far too dull to read them."

"Well, then, sir, perhaps you'd understand me when I say that Anthony f.a.gan, low and humble as he is, has no mind to expose his daughter to the sneers and scoffs of a rank she has no pretension to mix with; that, miser as he is, he would n't bring a blush of shame to her cheek for all the wealth of India! and that, rather than sit at home here and brood over every insult that would be offered to the usurer's daughter by those beggarly spendthrifts that are at liberty by his bounty, he 'd earn his name of the Grinder by crushing them to the dust!"

The vehemence of his utterance had gone on increasing as he spoke, till at the end the last words were given with almost a scream of pa.s.sion.

"I must say, f.a.gan," replied my father, calmly, "that you form a very humble, I trust a very unfair, estimate of the habits of my house, not to say of my own feelings. However, we'll not dispute the matter. Good evening to you."

"Good evening, sir; I 'm sorry I was so warm; I hope I have said nothing that could offend you."

"Not when you did n't mean offence, believe me, f.a.gan. I repeat my hope that the friends and acquaintances with whom I live are not the underbred and ill-mannered cla.s.s you think them; beyond that I have nothing to say. Good evening."

Probably no amount of discussion and argument on the subject could so palpably have convinced f.a.gan of the vast superiority of a man of good manners over one of inferior breeding as did the calm and gentleman-like quietude of my father's bearing, in contradistinction to his own pa.s.sionate outbreak.