Time glided very rapidly by at King's Castor, for there were few things
to check his progress. People came to the market and did their
business, and went away. Most of them had something to do at Dixons'
Bank, for it was the pivot upon which the affairs of King's Castor and
the neighbourhood turned. It was the centre from which radiated the
commerce of the place. Pivot or axle, there it was, with a patent box
full of the oil that makes matters run easily, and so trade and finance
round King's Castor seemed like some large wheel, that turned gently and
easily on.
Dixons' had a great deal to do with everybody, but Dixons' was safe, and
Dixons' was sure. On every side you heard how that Dixons' had taken
this or that man by the hand, with the best of results. Stammers
borrowed money at five per cent, when he put out that new front. Morris
bought his house with Dixons' money, and they held the deeds, so that
Morris was a man of importance--one of the privileged who paid no rent.
He paid interest on so many hundred pounds to Dixons' half-yearly, but
that was interest, not rent.
Old Thomas Dixon seldom came to the bank now, though he was supposed to
hold the reins of government, which he declined to hand over to his
junior partners, Sir Gordon Bourne and Mr Andrew Trampleasure. It was
his wish that a practised manager should be engaged from London, and
hence the arrival of Mr Robert Hallam, who wore a much talked-of watch,
that was by accident shown to Gemp, who learned what a repeater was, and
read on the inside how that it was a testimonial from Barrow, Fladgate,
and Range for faithful services performed.
Barrow, Fladgate, and Range were the Lombard Street bankers, who acted
as Dixons' agents; and the news of that watch spread, and its possession
was as a talisman to Robert Hallam.
Sir Gordon did not exactly take offence, for he rarely took offence at
anything; but he felt slighted about the engagement of Hallam, and
visited the place very little, handing over his duties to Trampleasure,
who dwelt at the bank, had his private room, did all the talking to the
farmers who came in, and did nothing more; but everything went smoothly
and well. The new manager was the pattern of gentlemanly
consideration--even to defaulters; and the main thing discussed after
two years' residence in King's Castor was, whom would he marry?
There were plenty of wealthy farmers' daughters in the neighbourhood;
several of the tradespeople were rich in money and had marriageable
girls; but to all and several Mr Hallam of the bank displayed the same
politeness, and at the end of two years there was quite a feeling of
satisfaction among the younger ladies of King's Castor at the general
impression, and that was, that the much-talked-of settler in their midst
was not a marrying man.
The reason is simple--he could only have married one, and not all. Many
were vain enough to think that the good fortune would have come to them.
But now, so to speak, Mr Hallam of the bank had grown rather stale,
and the interest was centred upon the new curate.
The gossips were not long in settling his fate.
"I know," said Gemp to a great many people; "gardening, eh? He! he! he!
hi! hi! hi! You wouldn't have thought it in a parson? But, there, he's
very young!"
"Yes, he is very young, Mr Gemp," said Mrs Pinet one morning to that
worthy, who quite occupied the ground that would have been covered by a
local journal. For, having retired years back from business, he had--
not being a reading man--nothing whatever to do but stand at his door
and see what went on. "Yes, he is very young, Mr Gemp," said Mrs
Pinet. "But poor young man, I suppose he can't help it."
"Help it, no! Just the age, too, when a fellow's always thinking about
love. We know better at our time of life, eh?"
Mrs Pinet, who was one of those plump and rosy ladies with nice elastic
flesh, which springs up again wherever time has made a crease, so that
it does not show, bridled a little, and became very much interested in
her row of geraniums in the parlour window, every one of which had
lately been made more ornamental by a coat of red lead over its pot.
For Mrs Pinet did not yet know better. She had known better five years
before, when Gemp had asked her to wed; but at the time present she was
wondering whether, if Mr Thickens at the bank, where her little store
of money lay, should fail, after all, to make her an offer, it was
possible that Mr Robert Hallam might think it very nice to have some
one to go on always taking so much care of his linen as she did, and
seeing that his breakfast bacon was always nicely broiled, his coffee
clear, and his dinners exactly as he liked to have them. Certainly he
was a good deal younger than she was; but she did not see why the wife
should not be the elder sometimes, as well as the husband.
Hence it was that Gemp's words jarred.
"Seems rum, don't it?" continued Gemp. "I went by the other day, and
there he was with his coat off, helping Luttrell, wheeling barrows, and
I've seen him weeding before now."
"Well, I'm sure it's very kind of him," said Mrs Pinet quickly. She
could not speak tartly; her physique and constitution forbade.
"Oh, yes, it's very kind of him indeed; but he'd better be attending to
his work."
"I'm sure he works very hard in the place."
"Oh, yes. Of course he does; but, don't you see?"
"See? No! See what?"
"He--he--he! And you women pretend to be so sharp about these things.
What does he go there gardening for?"
"Why, goodness gracious me, Mr Gemp, you don't think--"
"Think? Why, I'm sure of it. I see a deal of what's going on, Mrs
Pinet. I never look for it, but it comes. Why, he's always there. He
helps Luttrell when he's at home; and old mother Luttrell talks to him
about her jam. That's his artfulness; he isn't too young for that.
Gets the old girl on his side."
"But do you really think--Why, she's never had a sweetheart yet."
"That we know of, Mrs P.," said Gemp, with a meaning look.
"She never has had," said Mrs Pinet emphatically, "or we should have
known. Well, she's very handsome, and very nice, and I hope they'll be
very happy. But do you really think it's true?"
"True? Why, he's always there of an evening, tootling on the flute and
singing."
"Oh, but that's nothing; Mr Hallam goes there too, and has some music."
"Ay, but Hallam don't go out with her picking flowers, and botalising.
I've often seen 'em come home together with arms full o' rubbish; and
one day, what do you think?"
"Really, Mr Gemp!"
"I dropped upon 'em down in a ditch, and when they saw me coming, they
pretended that they were finding little snail-shells."
"Snail-shells?"
"Yes, ma'am, and he pulls out a little magnifying-glass for her to look
through. It may be a religious way of courting, but I say it's
disgusting."
"Really, Mr Gemp!" said Mrs Pinet, bridling.
"Ay, it is, ma'am. I like things open and above board--a young man
giving a young woman his arm, and taking her out for a walk reg'lar, and
not going out in the lanes, and keeping about a yard apart."
"But do they, Mr Gemp?"
"Yes, just to make people think there's nothing going on. But there,
ma'am, I must be off. You mustn't keep me. I can't stop talking here."
"Well, really, Mr Gemp!" said his hearer, bridling again, and resenting
the idea that she had detained him.
"Yes, I must go indeed. I say, though, seen any more of that chap?"
"Chap?--what chap, Mr Gemp?"
"Come now, you know what I mean. That shack: that ragged, shabby
fellow--him as come to see Mr Hallam the other day?"
"Oh, the poor fellow that Mr Hallam helped?"
"To be sure--him. Been here again?" said Gemp, making a rasping noise
with a rough finger on his beard.
"No, Mr Gemp."
"No! Well, I suppose not. I haven't seen him myself. Mornin'; can't
stop talking here."
Mr Gemp concluded his gossips invariably in this mode, as if he
resented being kept from business, which consisted in going to tell his
tale again.
Mrs Pinet was left to pick a few withering leaves from her geraniums, a
floricultural act which she performed rather mechanically, for her mind
was a good deal occupied by Gemp's disclosure.
"They'd make a very nice pair, that they would," she said thoughtfully;
"and how would it be managed, I wonder? He couldn't marry himself, of
course, and--oh, Mr Thickens, how you did make me jump!"
"Jump! Didn't see you jump, Mrs Pinet," said the clerk, smiling sadly,
as if he thought Mrs Pinet's banking account was lower than it should
be.
"Well, bless the man, you know what I mean. Stealing up so quietly,
like a robber or thief in the night."
"Oh! Not come to steal, but to beg."
"Beg, Mr Thickens? What, a subscription for something?"
"No. I was coming by. Mr Hallam wants the book on his shelf, `Brown's
Investor.'"
"Oh, I see. Come in, Mr Thickens!" she exclaimed warmly. "I'll get
the book."
"Won't come in, thank you."
"Now do, Mr Thickens, and have a glass of wine and a bit of cake."
The quiet, dry-looking clerk shook his head and smiled.
"Plenty of gossips in the town, Mrs Pinet, without my joining the
ranks."
"Now that's unkind, Mr Thickens. I only wanted to ask you if you
thought it true that Mr Bayle is going to marry Miss Millicent
Luttrell; Mr Gemp says he is."
"Divide what Gemp says by five, subtract half, and the remainder may be
correct, ma'am."
"Then it isn't true?"
"I don't know, ma'am."
"Oh, what a tiresome, close old bank-safe of a man you are, Mr
Thickens! Just like your cupboard in the bank."
"Where I want to be, Mrs Pinet, if you will get me the book."
"Oh, well, come inside, and I'll get it for you directly. But it isn't
neighbourly when I wanted to ask you about fifty pounds I wish to put
away."
He followed her quickly into the parlour occupied by the manager, and
then glanced sharply round.
"Have you consulted him--Mr Hallam?" he said sharply.
"No, of course not. I have always taken your advice so far, Mr
Thickens. I don't talk about my bit of money to all my friends."
"Quite right," he said--"quite right. Fifty pounds, did you say?"
"Yes; and I'd better bring it to Dixons', hadn't I?" James Thickens
began to work at his smoothly-shaven face, pinching his cheeks with his
long white fingers and thumb, and drawing them down to his chin, as if
he wished to pare that off to a point--an unnecessary procedure, as it
was already very sharp.
"I can't do better, can I?"
The bank clerk looked sharply round the room again, his eyes lighting on
the desk, books, and various ornaments, with which the manager had
surrounded himself.
"I don't know," he said at last.
"But I don't like keeping the money in the house, Mr Thickens. I
always wake up about three, and fancy that thieves are breaking in."
"Give it to me, then, and I'll put it safely for you somewhere."
"In the bank, Mr Thickens?"
"I don't know yet," he said. "Give me the book. Thank you. I'll talk
to you about the money another time;" and, placing the volume under his
arm, he glanced once more sharply round the room, and then went off very
thoughtful and strange of aspect--veritably looking, as Mrs Pinet said,
as close as the safe up at Dixons' Bank.