"Wait, old man, until you know what you're talking about," was his only
rejoinder.
"I suppose you've sold some interest in your air ship," I suggested
doggedly.
"How absurd! I haven't even thought of such a thing."
He seemed to enjoy my perplexity, and walked about the room whistling.
"You have sold the invention out and out, then?" I persisted.
"Guess again, dear boy, for I shall never part with the air ship to any
human being!"
"And will it ever be built?"
"Rather! I am working on it now. What did you suppose I'd been doing
at Gravesend all this time? Courting old man Wetherbee's daughter, eh?
Well, you're mistaken, for I've been doing nothing of the kind; but the
air ship is begun."
I might as well have pumped the clerk in the office for information, and
so decided to ask no more questions. But my resolution was short-lived,
for in the next breath I inquired how long it would probably take to
complete it; to which Torrence answered that he thought six weeks would
probably suffice, and had therefore only taken our rooms for two months,
but that the time required for such delicate workmanship as would be
necessary on the air ship, was difficult to estimate, and he had
therefore stipulated for the refusal of our apartments, should we need
them longer, at the expiration of the term, as he did not wish to go in
search of lodgings again. He rattled on about contracts he had signed
for work upon the air ship, involving such large sums of money that I
could only stand with my mouth open and gasp.
At 8 o'clock we sat down in our _salon_ to such a dinner as could hardly
be surpassed by the royal board itself. The table was loaded with
flowers and silver, and lighted with candles. Two men were in
attendance; one behind each of us. The wines were of the choicest; each
course being accompanied by its appropriate beverage. Such Burgundies
and Tokays, such champagnes and liquers, and all dispensed with the
utmost prodigality, bottles being opened, merely tasted and set aside
for a better vintage. I sat and ate and drank like one in a dream, and
earnestly prayed that the money would not give out before we had settled
this bill. For our credit, I will say that neither of us drank too
much. Indeed the glory undermined my appetite, and I perceived that
although there was quite an array of bottles and decanters, mere wasted
material, Torrence was also extremely moderate.
After dinner the attendants were dismissed, while we continued to sit
around the table, smoking and talking. Our cigars were of the finest,
and our conversation consisted mainly of questions upon my part; some
answers, and many evasions on Torrence's.
"And where have you located your workshop?" I inquired.
"The air ship is building in Wetherbee's barn; at least the parts, when
completed, will be put together there under my supervision," answered
Torrence.
"Do you expect to go to Gravesend every day to superintend the work? It
strikes me as rather a long journey. Won't it take up a lot of your
time?"
"It would under ordinary circumstances," he answered; "but you see I
shall travel by private conveyance. In fact I have purchased a steam
launch; she is very fast, so that I can run up and down without
trouble."
"Oh!" I ejaculated, unable entirely to conceal my surprise even at this
minor, and perhaps more reasonable extravagance.
"I suppose you will keep a crew on board then?"
"Oh, yes."
"And the thing will always be waiting for you?"
"Exactly!"
"Couldn't we have saved a lot of money by sleeping on her?" I asked.
"Probably; but I don't think it would have been so comfortable. Surely,
Gurt, you're not dissatisfied with our quarters already?"
"Dissatisfied! Heaven forbid! I was only thinking of your purse."
"That, my dear boy, can take care of itself. By the by, do you know we
ought to have more clothes, and a couple of men--_valets_, I mean; for
whoever heard of people in our position, dressing themselves? I think I
shall put an 'ad' in the _Times_ to-morrow."
"I hope not," I answered; "for my part I should feel like a fool to have
a fellow tinkering about me, holding my trousers while I stepped into
them, and washing my face--why I understand that even the Prince of
Wales puts on his own clothes!"
"That ought to settle it then," said Torrence; "but a greater variety of
wearing apparel is necessary; for the servants that wait on us are
better clad than we are."
I didn't offer any objection to the clothes, feeling that they were a
tangible asset, which in the event of failure might be turned to some
account. But the _valets_ were quite superfluous, a money sink, as well
as an affectation which I swore to eschew.
The transition from poverty to opulence had been so sudden, that it
might have been unnerving were it not for my brother's extraordinary
influence. I had always regarded him with unswerving confidence, and
even now the relief from monetary anxiety quite outweighed any misgiving
I might have felt concerning the manner of this suddenly acquired
wealth. As it was, while my wonder was stimulated, my curiosity partook
more of the nature of a child's toward a parent's resources, and my
efforts to unravel the mystery being so successfully thwarted, I soon
became, in a measure, satisfied to receive and ask no questions. I say,
in a measure, for of course it was impossible at times to help thinking
how this sudden change in our circumstances had been achieved.
After dinner I went down into the lower corridor of the hotel, and
admired its superb finish, and elegant appointments, as well as the gay
throng that constantly gathered there. Thence wandering into the
reading room, I indited a number of letters to friends at home, feeling
a peculiar satisfaction in using the gorgeous note paper with the words,
Hotel Mustapha, engraved upon the top of each sheet. While I was
writing Torrence amused himself in the billiard room, where he had
already made acquaintances. When through with my letters, I joined the
party, a bevy of fashionable men, who evidently looked up to Torrence as
their leader. They were playing pool for stakes, and when the game was
over, my brother, putting his hand in his pocket, pulled out a huge
bundle of bank bills, and settled the score. The amount lost could not
have been large, as he received several gold pieces and some silver back
in change, out of a single bill. I marked this fact with interest, as
it tended to show that Torrence was not gambling to any excess. He
introduced me to the men as his twin brother; and then we went into the
smoking room and drank some hot Scotches, and smoked very expensive
cigars, my brother again paying the bill.
We soon became looked upon as the Yankee millionaires, no distinction
being made between us, and being well supplied with funds myself, I was
always able to appear as a gentleman.
A few days after our arrival, I was informed that one of the best boxes
at a neighboring theater was reserved for us. Torrence had taken it for
the season. "Not that I expect to go there every night," he said, "but
it is pleasant to have one's own corner to drop in upon, when one
happens in the mood. To-night, for instance, I think it would be nice
to take a peep at the ballet; don't you?"
I agreed that it would, and after our usual sumptuous dinner, we entered
a very handsome closed carriage, and were driven away. There were two
men upon the box in livery, and as we rolled noiselessly on upon rubber
tires, I remarked that it was quite the swellest public rig I had ever
seen. My observation was received with scorn.
"Public rig be blowed!" said Torrence; "surely you know better than to
take this for a hackney coach!"
"What then?" I inquired.
"Private, of course. I bought the entire outfit, horses and all this
morning. This is my maiden trip with them; and they--I mean the
animals--are a pair of spankers, I can tell you!"
"And how much did the whole outfit cost?" I inquired, unable to restrain
my curiosity on the money question.
"Eight fifty!" said Torrence, in an easy off-hand way, as if four
thousand two hundred and fifty dollars were the merest bagatelle. I
would have been stunned had I not been growing gradually accustomed to
that sort of thing. As it was, I simply remarked that I couldn't see
how he was going to find time to exercise his purchase.
"Oh, I'll leave that to you," he answered, "I don't want you to go about
town in a manner unbefitting the role; savey?"
We were ushered into the theater with all the deference that could have
been heaped upon her majesty, so I thought; and I half expected the
audience to rise as we entered our box.
The play was one of those dazzling effects of lights and legs, as
Torrence expressed it, with little or nothing beside, and I soon
observed that a pretty little soubrette was the principal attraction.
Before the second act was over, an attendant was summoned and despatched
with a five pound bill, and an order for the prettiest basket of flowers
to be bought, which at the first opportunity found its way upon the
stage. At times it made me sick to see the money my brother wasted, but
I was a more puppet in his keeping, and could do nothing to deter him.
I fully expected he would be going to the green room after the
performance for an introduction, but to my amazement he did nothing of
the kind, and instead we got into our carriage, and driving to a
fashionable restaurant, had supper.
"And why did you throw away your money on those flowers?" I asked him,
lingering over a bottle of Pomard.
"Do you call that throwing money away? Why the poor little thing looked
as if she needed all the encouragement she could get. I think of
leaving an order with the florist to-morrow to send her half a dozen
every night. Take them in from different parts of the auditorium, you
know, so that she will never suspect they came from the same person."
"And you won't send your card?"
"Decidedly not!"
"And you don't want her to know it is you?"
"Decidedly not!"
"Have you taken leave of your senses?"
"Decidedly not! Why, Gurt, don't you know it would give her a lot more
pleasure to think she was a general favorite than a special one?"
"Decidedly not!" I answered, taking up his cue, "any girl would
rather--but no, on further consideration, I believe you're right." And
it seemed to me that Torrence was always right.
Later we got into our carriage and were driven to the hotel. The night
was wet and cold, and I was glad to find myself once more in the
cheerful Mustapha. We had a game of billiards, followed by some hot
Scotch and a cigar, and then went to our rooms, and to bed.
Once in the dark and alone I kept revolving in my mind the events of the
day, and of the time since our change of fortune; and naturally fell to
speculating as to the most probable manner in which all this wealth had
been acquired. Nothing I could think of was satisfactory, and one idea
after another was set aside as equally improbable. I suppose I must
have fallen asleep when I began to wonder if the receipt he had shown me
were genuine. It was an unreasonable doubt, and at variance with my
faith in Torrence, and yet it took hold of me as sleeping thoughts some
times will. Had I not seen his money? Why should he not have used it
for hotels as well as anything else? And yet the thought annoyed me, so
that I could not dismiss it; and finally I found myself sitting up in
bed, brooding over it. Lighting my candle I walked quietly across the
room and entered the _salon_. Listening at my brother's door for a
moment, and making sure that he was asleep, I returned to my own room
and dressed. The lights were still burning brightly all over the house,
and looking at my watch, I saw that it was only a little past midnight.
There could be nothing extraordinary in going to the hotel office and
inquiring in a casual way if the rooms had been paid for. It would set
my mind at rest to have the verbal assurance of the proprietor that they
were. I could not help feeling that it was an underhanded advantage to
take of my sleeping relative; but I was driven by a great fear, and
after a moment's hesitation, I sped down the stairway into the lobby
below. I sauntered into the billiard room, not so much to see if there
were any players left, as to assume an appearance of merely lounging
about the premises without definite purpose. Half a dozen men were
still plying their cues, and I recognized the one to whom Torrence had
introduced me. I was invited to join the game, but dread of being led
into a carouse deterred me, and after looking on for a few minutes, I
said good-night and wandered back toward the office. I walked up and
down a couple of times with an unlighted cigarette between my teeth, as
if merely seeking diversion, and then going up to the desk, asked some
irrelevant questions about the arrivals during the day. My question
answered, I turned carelessly as if about to depart, and then as though
the thought had suddenly presented itself, looked back, and said:
"Oh! by the by; did I understand correctly that my brother, Mr. Torrence
Attlebridge, had settled for our apartments?"
The clerk did not have to refer to his books, but answered promptly with
a pleased smile:
"Oh, yes, sir. Everything is settled for in full. Your brother has
paid in advance for two months. He has our receipt for the
amount--three hundred pounds. They are our very best apartments, sir;
decorated by LeBrune, and furnished by Haltzeimer entirely regardless--I
hope Mr. Attlebridge finds everything satisfactory!"
I assured him that everything was just as we desired and went away
comforted, with the exception of wishing that I had the money instead of
the rooms. But such thoughts were idle; I was in Torrence's hands.
After loitering about the smoking room for a few minutes, I returned to
my room, and to bed.
*V.*
When I got up in the morning Torrence had gone. He had left without
disturbing me, as he said he should, the journey to Gravesend requiring
an early start.
I determined to put in the day writing, having evolved some ideas which
I thought might suit a certain American journal; but it is astonishing
when the necessity for work has been removed, how indifferent we become
to it. Every effort seemed absolutely futile, and after an hour, I put
away my writing materials and went out for a drive in the park. I could
see that my brother's new outfit was greatly admired, and I leaned back
upon the satin cushions, conscious that I was looked upon as an
important person--possibly a duke. I lunched at a fashionable
restaurant near the marble arch, and then, after a drive along Edgeware
road, returned to the hotel.
The mail was just in, and there was a large batch of letters and papers
for Torrence. Some of these were unsealed; presumably advertisements,
and as such I examined them. But the examination was disappointing,
only serving to whet my interest, and enhance my wonder. For what was
here? Unaccountable scribbling--such extraordinary charts and
figures--such attempts at drawing of birds and unknown animals--such
efforts at natural scenery--and withal such crude and childish
explanations, in such outlandish chirography, that it was quite
impossible to say whether the work was that of a madman or not. Indeed
I was by no means sure what any one of the designs was really intended
to mean. I pored over these papers for more than an hour, in the very
ecstasy of wonder, and then without having reached a single conclusion,
put them back in the envelopes to await the owner's arrival.
I tried to believe that the drawings referred to some of the more
intricate parts of the air ship; although it was impossible to help
feeling that this was absurd.
About an hour before dinner Torrence arrived, cheery as ever. I gave
him his mail, and then seating myself near the window, watched him open
it. It is not always easy to interpret the emotions by the expression
of the face, but on my brother's countenance I was sure that a
comprehensive wonder, a wonder that grasped the meaning of what he saw,
was clearly depicted. At one moment he would smile with infatuation; a
paroxysm of delight; at the next he would frown, and look frightened at
the paper before him, and once he passed his arm roughly across his
eyes, as if wiping away a tear. If the papers themselves were
mysterious, Torrence's behavior was even more so. When through, he put
them carefully together and carried them into his own room.
"Anything important?" I inquired, with an assumed indifference, when he
returned to the _salon_.
"Nothing," he answered, glancing at me, as I thought, with a slight look
of suspicion, "nothing only a lot of detailed drawings about the work
going on at Gravesend."
I did not answer, but felt sure that he had not told me the truth. Then
he went on to speak of various contracts, which he hoped would soon be
under way, and which were to be delivered at Gravesend within a month,
and of others that would take longer to complete, and all of which were
to be put together at Wetherbee's barn as soon as possible. He was
afraid the vessel would be longer building than he had at first been led
to believe, but concluded that it would not matter very much after all,
as the season was not propitious for a trial.
"No," I answered, "I should imagine that warm weather would be better,
but then your expenses here would be running on fearfully!"
Torrence sneered at the suggestion. Expense was always the thing he
seemed to think of last.
We dined sumptuously again, and after dinner drove to a music hall.
Here the usual extravagance was repeated, indeed it exceeded all bounds.
Not only did he buy flowers in vast heaps, which he distributed upon the
stage; but later went into the green room, and disbursed considerable
money among the actresses. His prodigality was so absurd and unmeaning
that I finally left him in disgust, returning to the hotel alone. It
was quite late when he came in, and I met him in rather angry mood:
"Well, you have made a fool of yourself!" I exclaimed, as he threw
himself upon a large Persian _musnud_ to finish his cigar before
retiring.
"How?" he asked, quite innocently.
"By throwing away your money among a lot of sharpies, who wouldn't lend
you a copper to save your soul!"
Torrence roared, as if he thought it the best joke imaginable.
"Now, look here, old boy," he said in another minute, "don't lose your
temper, because it doesn't pay. What's the use of money if not to give
pleasure? That's my way of enjoying myself, and I don't either ask or
expect any favors in return. As you see, it takes a lot of money to buy
my pleasure, but I can afford it!"
"If you have such an income that you can't spend it," I replied,
"suppose you give a little of it to me. You might be glad some day if
you found that I had saved a few pounds for you!"
The speech would have been contemptible, considering the amount of money
Torrence had already given me, were it not for the fact that I intended
it for his good as well as my own, hoping to save at least a part of a
fortune, which was being squandered so shamefully under my eyes.
"Why, certainly," he answered good naturedly, and half-rising from the
lounge, "how much do you want?"
"Anything you have to spare!"
Without another word he got up, and going to the writing table, signed a
blank check and handed it to me.
"There! fill it out for yourself!" he exclaimed.
"For how much?"
"Anything you please," he replied, with a look of utter indifference.
"But you must say," I persisted.
"Really, I don't care, Gurt," he answered, striking a match to relight
his cigar. "My bankers will pay anything you put on it, I fancy."
"Have you as much as a thousand pounds with these people?"
He laughed outright.
"I should hope so!" he shouted; "but if that is all you want, I have
probably as much about me, for you must remember that I am a business
man now, and am conducting costly experiments in connection with the air
ship, which I intend shall be the most perfect thing on earth!"
"I suppose then it will cost you more than the twenty thousand dollars
you thought?"
"Well, rather! If I get off with as many pounds I shall be lucky!"