"Going out, Vane?"
"Only to the rectory, uncle; want me?"
"No, my boy, no," said the doctor, sadly. "Er--that is, I do want to
have a chat with you, but another time will do."
"Hadn't you better tell me now, uncle," said Vane. "I don't like to go
on waiting and thinking that I have a scolding coming, and not know what
it's about."
The doctor, who was going out into the garden, smiled as he turned,
shook his head, and walked back to his chair.
"You have not been doing anything, Vane, my lad," he said quickly and
sadly. "If anyone deserves a scolding it is I; and your aunt
persistently refuses to administer it."
"Of course," said Aunt Hannah, looking up from her work, "you meant to
do what was right, my dear. I am sorry more on your account than on my
own, dear," and she rose and went behind the doctor's chair to place her
hands on his shoulder.
He took them both and pressed them together to hold them against his
cheek.
"Thank you, my dear," he said, turning his head to look up in her eyes.
"I knew it would make no difference in you. For richer or poorer, for
better or worse, eh? There, go and sit down, my dear, and let's have a
chat with Vane here."
Aunt Hannah bowed her head and went back to her place, but contrived so
that she might pass close to Vane and pass her hand through his curly
hair.
"Vane, boy," said the doctor sharply and suddenly, "I meant to send you
to college for the regular terms."
"Yes, uncle."
"And then let you turn civil engineer."
"Yes, uncle, I knew that," said the lad, wonderingly.
"Well, my boy, times are altered. I may as well be blunt and
straightforward with you. I cannot afford to send you to college, and
you will have to start now, beginning to earn your own living, instead
of five or six years hence."
Vane looked blank and disappointed for a few moments, and then, as he
realised that his aunt and uncle were watching the effect of the
latter's words keenly, his face lit up.
"All right, uncle," he said; "I felt a bit damped at first, for I don't
think I shall like going away from home, but as to the other, the
waiting and college first, I shan't mind. I am sorry though that you
are in trouble. I'm afraid I've been a great expense to you."
"There, don't be afraid about that any longer, my boy," said the doctor,
rising. "Thank you, my lad--thank you. That was very frank and manly
of you. There, you need not say anything to your friends at present,
and--I'll talk to you another time."
The doctor patted Vane on the shoulder, then wrung his hand and hurried
out into the garden.
"Why, auntie, what's the matter?" cried Vane, kneeling down by the old
lady's chair, as she softly applied her handkerchief to her eyes.
"It's money, my dear, money," she said, making an effort to be calm. "I
did hope that we were going to end our days here in peace, where, after
his long, anxious toil in London, everything seems to suit your uncle
so, and he is so happy with his botany and fruit and flowers; but Heaven
knows what is best, and we shall have to go into quite a small cottage
now."
"But I thought uncle was ever so rich, aunt," cried Vane. "Oh, if I'd
known I wouldn't have asked him for money as I have for my schemes."
"Oh, my dear, it isn't that," cried Aunt Hannah. "I was always afraid
of it, but I did not like to oppose your uncle."
"It? What was it?" cried Vane.
"Perhaps I ought not to tell you, dear, but I don't know. You must know
some time. It was that Mr Deering. Your uncle has known him ever
since they were boys at school together; and then Mr Deering, who is a
great inventor, came down and told your uncle that he had at last found
the means of making his fortune over a mechanical discovery, if some one
would be security for him. Your uncle did not like to refuse."
"Oh, dear!" muttered Vane.
"You see it was not to supply him with money then, only to be security,
so that other people would advance him money and enable him to start his
works and pay for his patents."
"Yes, aunt, I understand," cried Vane. "And now--"
"His invention has turned out to be a complete failure, and your poor
uncle will have to pay off Mr Deering's liabilities. When that is
done, I am afraid we shall be very badly off, my dear."
"That you shan't, auntie," cried Vane, quickly; "I'll work for you both,
and I'll make a fortune somehow. I don't see why I shouldn't invent."
"No, no, don't, boy, for goodness' sake," said the doctor, who had heard
part of the conversation as he returned. "Let's have good hard work, my
lad. Let someone else do the inventing."
"All right, uncle," said Vane, firmly; "I'll give up all my wild ideas
now about contriving things, and set to work."
"That's right, boy," said the doctor. "I'm rather sick of hearing
inventions named."
"Don't say that, dear," said Aunt Hannah, quietly and firmly; "and I
should not like all Vane's aspirations to be damped because Mr Deering
has failed. Some inventions succeed: the mistake seems to me to be when
people take it for granted that everything must be a success."
"Hear! hear!" cried the doctor, thumping the table. "Here hi! You
Vane, why don't you cheer, sir, when our Queen of Sheba speaks such
words of wisdom. Your aspirations shall not be stopped, boy. There, no
more words about the trouble. It's only the loss of money, and it has
done me good. I was growing idle and dyspeptic."
"You were not, dear," said Aunt Hannah, decidedly.
"Oh, yes, I was, my dear, and this has roused me up. There, I don't
care a bit for the loss, since you two take it so bravely. And, perhaps
after all, in spite of all the lawyers say, matters may not turn out
quite so badly. Deering says he shall come down, and I like that: it's
honourable and straightforward of him."
"I wish he would not come," said Aunt Hannah, "I wish we had never seen
his face."
"No, no! tut, tut," said the doctor.
"I'm sure I shall not be able to speak civilly to him," cried Aunt
Hannah.
"You will, dear, and you will make him as welcome as ever. His
misfortune is as great as ours--greater, because he has the additional
care of feeling that he has pretty well ruined us and poor Vane here."
"Oh, it hasn't ruined me, uncle," cried Vane. "I don't so much mind
missing college."
"But, suppose I had some money to leave you, my boy, and it is all
gone."
"Oh," cried Vane, merrily, "I'm glad of that. Mr Syme said one day
that he always pitied a young man who had expectations from his elders,
for, no matter how true-hearted the heir might be, it was always a
painful position for him to occupy, that of waiting for prosperity till
other people died. It was something like that, uncle, but I haven't
given it quite in his words."
"Humph! Syme is a goose," said the doctor, testily. "I'm sure you
never wanted me dead, so as to get my money, Vane."
"Why, of course not, uncle. I never thought about money except when I
wanted to pay old Wrench or Dance for something he made for me."
"There, I move that this meeting be adjourned," cried the doctor. "One
moment, though, before it is carried unanimously. How will Aunt behave
to poor Deering, when he comes down."
"Same as she behaves to every one, uncle," cried Vane, laughing.
"There, old lady," said the doctor, "and as for the money, bah! let it
take wings and fly away, and--"
The doctor's further speech was checked by Aunt Hannah throwing her arms
about his neck and burying her face in his breast, while Vane made a
rush out into the garden and then ran rapidly down the avenue.
"If I'd stopped a minute longer, I should have begun blubbering like a
great girl," he muttered. "Why, hanged if my eyes aren't quite wet."