"I could not do business of this kind," he continued, "with anyone who
was not a gentleman, and in whom I did not feel the fullest confidence."
He said this so impressively that I was quite touched--the champagne
at luncheon was certainly very good--and inwardly decided that a
money-lender was just as likely as anyone else to be a good fellow.
"But," he continued, "you must remember the risk, as I said before,
and that I have heavy expenses (he didn't mention what they were),
but I will advance you five thousand pounds on the spot, if you will
undertake to repay me eight thousand pounds when you come of age. The
only other condition that I make is that you insure your life in my
favour, so that in case anything happened to you I should not lose my
money."
This proposal rather took my breath away, and I stared at him blankly.
"I can assure you," he said, with a bland smile, "that these are really
very favourable terms. Plenty of other gentlemen in my line would
refuse to take the risk at any price. Perhaps you would like to talk it
over with this gentleman?" indicating Captain Wyngate.
Without waiting for an answer, he rose and left the room. I cast an
appealing glance at the captain.
"My dear fellow," he said, "you mustn't think that I want to advise
you against your own interests, but you might do worse than take this
offer."
"Three thousand pounds is a lot of interest," I urged.
"It's only a small slice out of your thirty thousand," he replied,
shrugging his shoulders. "Jackson treats you like a gentleman, and will
hand the money over at once. If you go to someone else you may be kept
hanging on for weeks and charged all sorts of fees and expenses."
"All the same----" I began.
"What's the use of haggling about a hundred or two?" Wyngate
interrupted. "You won't save anything in the long run."
His tone and look implied that he considered I was trying to drive a
hard bargain. To be thought mean by this superior being, who had shown
himself so friendly and hospitable, was more than I could endure, and
I hastily replied that he was quite right, and that we might as well
settle the affair at once.
Jackson opportunely returning at this juncture, I signified my
acceptance of his terms. A bond and an insurance proposal which had
been made out beforehand were produced, and I signed them.
"Shall I cross the cheque for payment through your own bank, Mr.
Addington?" Jackson asked, bringing out his cheque-book. "But perhaps,"
he added, before I had to confess that I had no banking account, "you
would prefer to have part of the money in cash. A thousand pounds in
notes and the rest in a cheque? Certainly. If you will kindly count the
notes in this bundle, I think you will find them all right. Thank you,
Mr. Addington. My clerk will call upon you with any other papers there
may be for you to sign."