MR. HART AND CAPTAIN STUBBER.
When George Hotspur left Humblethwaite, turned out of the house
by the angry Baronet early in the morning,--as the reader will
remember,--he was at his own desire driven to Penrith, choosing to
go south rather than north. He had doubted for a while as to his
immediate destination. The Altringhams were still at Castle Corry,
and he might have received great comfort from her ladyship's advice
and encouragement. But, intimate as he was with the Altringhams, he
did not dare to take a liberty with the Earl. A certain allowance of
splendid hospitality at Castle Corry was at his disposal every year,
and Lord Altringham always welcomed him with thorough kindness. But
George Hotspur had in some fashion been made to understand that he
was not to overstay his time; and he was quite aware that the Earl
could be very disagreeable upon occasions. There was a something in
the Earl of which George was afraid; and, to tell the truth, he did
not dare to go back to Castle Corry. And then, might it not be well
for him to make immediate preparation in London for those inquiries
respecting his debts and his character which Sir Harry had decided
to make? It would be very difficult for him to make any preparation
that could lead to a good result; but if no preparation were made,
the result would be very bad indeed. It might perhaps be possible
to do something with Mr. Hart and Captain Stubber. He had no other
immediate engagements. In October he was due to shoot pheasants with
a distinguished party in Norfolk, but this business which he had now
in hand was of so much importance that even the pheasant-shooting and
the distinguished party were not of much moment to him.
He went to Penrith, and thence direct to London. It was the habit of
his life to give up his London lodgings when he left town at the end
of the season, and spare himself the expense of any home as long as
he could find friends to entertain him. There are certain items of
the cost of living for which the greatest proficient in the art of
tick must pay, or he will come to a speedy end;--and a man's lodging
is one of them. If indeed the spendthrift adapts himself to the
splendour of housekeeping, he may, provided his knowledge of his
business be complete, and his courage adequate, house himself
gloriously for a year or two with very small payment in ready money.
He may even buy a mansion with an incredibly small outlay, and, when
once in it, will not easily allow himself to be extruded. George
Hotspur, however, not from any want of knowledge or of audacity, but
from the nature of the life he chose to lead, had abstained from such
investment of his credit, and had paid for his lodgings in St. James'
Street. He was consequently houseless at the moment, and on his
arrival in London took himself to an hotel close behind the military
club to which he belonged.
At this moment he was comparatively a rich man. He had between three
and four hundred pounds at a bank at which he kept an account when
possessed of funds. But demands upon him were very pressing, and
there was a certain Captain Stubber who was bitter against him,
almost to blood, because one Mr. Abraham Hart had received two
thousand pounds from the proceeds of Sir Harry's generosity. Captain
Stubber had not received a shilling, and had already threatened
Cousin George with absolute exposure if something were not done to
satisfy him.
George, when he had ordered his dinner at his club, wrote the
following letter to Lady Altringham. He had intended to write from
Penrith in the morning, but when there had been out of sorts and
unhappy, and had disliked to confess, after his note of triumph
sounded on the previous evening, that he had been turned out of
Humblethwaite. He had got over that feeling during the day, with
the help of sundry glasses of sherry and a little mixed curaçoa and
brandy which he took immediately on his arrival in London,--and, so
supported, made a clean breast of it, as the reader shall see.
DEAR LADY A., [he said]--Here I am, back in town, banished
from heaven. My darling, gentle, future papa-in-law
gave me to understand, when I told him the extent of my
hopes last night, that the outside of the park-gates at
Humblethwaite was the place for me; nevertheless he sent
me to Penrith with the family horses, and, taking it as
a whole, I think that my interview with him, although
very disagreeable, was not unsatisfactory. I told him
everything that I could tell him. He was kind enough to
call me a blackguard (!!!) because I had gone to Emily
without speaking to him first. On such occasions, however,
a man takes anything. I ventured to suggest that what I
had done was not unprecedented among young people, and
hinted that while he could make me the future master of
Humblethwaite, I could make my cousin the future Lady
Hotspur; and that in no other way could Humblethwaite and
the Hotspurs be kept together. It was wonderful how he
cooled down after a while, saying that he would pay all my
debts if he found them--satisfactory. I can only say that
I never found them so.
It ended in this--that he is to make inquiry about me, and
that I am to have my cousin unless I am found out to be
very bad indeed. How or when the inquiries will be made I
do not know; but I am here to prepare for them.
Yours always most faithfully,
G. H.
I do not like to ask Altringham to do anything for me. No
man ever had a kinder friend than I have had in him, and
I know he objects to meddle in the money matters of other
people. But if he could lend me his name for a thousand
pounds till I can get these things settled, I believe
I could get over every other difficulty. I should as a
matter of course include the amount in the list of debts
which I should give to Sir Harry; but the sum at once,
which I could raise on his name without trouble to him,
would enable me to satisfy the only creditor who will be
likely to do me real harm with Sir Harry. I think you
will understand all this, and will perceive how very
material the kindness to me may be; but if you think that
Altringham will be unwilling to do it, you had better not
show him this letter.
It was the mixed curaçoa and brandy which gave George Hotspur the
courage to make the request contained in his postscript. He had not
intended to make it when he sat down to write, but as he wrote the
idea had struck him that if ever a man ought to use a friend this was
an occasion for doing so. If he could get a thousand pounds from Lord
Altringham, he might be able to stop Captain Stubber's mouth. He did
not believe that he should be successful, and he thought it probable
that Lord Altringham might express vehement displeasure. But the
game was worth the candle, and then he knew that he could trust the
Countess.
London was very empty, and he passed a wretched evening at his club.
There were not men enough to make up a pool, and he was obliged to
content himself with a game of billiards with an old half-pay naval
captain, who never left London, and who would bet nothing beyond
a shilling on the game. The half-pay navy captain won four games,
thereby paying for his dinner, and then Cousin George went sulkily to
bed.
He had come up to town expressly to see Captain Stubber and Mr. Hart,
and perhaps also to see another friend from whom some advice might
be had; but on the following morning he found himself very averse to
seeking any of these advisers. He had applied to Lady Altringham for
assistance, and he told himself that it would be wise to wait for her
answer. And yet he knew that it would not be wise to wait, as Sir
Harry would certainly be quick in making his promised inquiries. For
four days he hung about between his hotel and his club, and then he
got Lady Altringham's answer. We need only quote the passage which
had reference to George's special request:--
Gustavus says that he will have nothing to do with money.
You know his feelings about it. And he says that it would
do no good. Whatever the debts are, tell them plainly to
Sir Harry. If this be some affair of play, as Gustavus
supposes, tell that to Sir Harry. Gustavus thinks that the
Baronet would without doubt pay any such debt which could
be settled or partly settled by a thousand pounds.
"D----d heartless, selfish fellow! quite incapable of anything like
true friendship," said Cousin George to himself, when he read Lady
Altringham's letter.
Now he must do something. Hitherto neither Stubber, nor Hart, nor the
other friend knew of his presence in London. Hart, though a Jew, was
much less distasteful to him than Captain Stubber, and to Mr. Abraham
Hart he went first.
Mr. Abraham Hart was an attorney,--so called by himself and
friends,--living in a genteel street abutting on Gray's Inn Road,
with whose residence and place of business, all beneath the same
roof, George Hotspur was very well acquainted. Mr. Hart was a man
in the prime of life, with black hair and a black beard, and a new
shining hat, and a coat with a velvet collar and silk lining. He was
always dressed in the same way, and had never yet been seen by Cousin
George without his hat on his head. He was a pleasant-spoken, very
ignorant, smiling, jocose man, with a slightly Jewish accent, who
knew his business well, pursued it diligently, and considered himself
to have a clear conscience. He had certain limits of forbearance
with his customers--limits which were not narrow; but, when those
were passed, he would sell the bed from under a dying woman with her
babe, or bread from the mouth of a starving child. To do so was the
necessity of his trade,--for his own guidance in which he had made
laws. The breaking of those laws by himself would bring his trade to
an end, and therefore he declined to break them.
Mr. Hart was a man who attended to his business, and he was found at
home even in September. "Yes, Mr. 'Oshspur, it's about time something
was done now; ain't it?" said Mr. Hart, smiling pleasantly.
Cousin George, also smiling, reminded his friend of the two thousand
pounds paid to him only a few months since. "Not a shilling was
mine of that, Captain 'Oshspur, not a brass fardin'. That was quite
neshesshary just then, as you know, Captain 'Oshspur, or the fat must
have been in the fire. And what's up now?"
Not without considerable difficulty Cousin George explained to the
Jew gentleman what was "up." He probably assumed more inclination on
the part of Sir Harry for the match than he was justified in doing;
but was very urgent in explaining to Mr. Hart that when inquiry was
made on the part of Sir Harry as to the nature of the debt, the naked
truth should not be exactly told.
"It was very bad, vasn't it, Captain 'Oshspur, having to divide with
that fellow Stubber the money from the 'Orse Guards? You vas too
clever for both of us there, Mr. 'Oshspur; veren't you now, Captain
'Oshspur? And I've two cheques still on my 'ands which is marked 'No
account!' 'No account' is very bad. Isn't 'No account' very bad on
a cheque, Captain 'Oshspur? And then I've that cheque on Drummond,
signed;--God knows how that is signed! There ain't no such person
at all. Baldebeque! That's more like it than nothing else. When you
brought me that, I thought there vas a Lord Baldebeque; and I know
you live among lords, Captain 'Oshspur."
"On my honour I brought it you,--just as I took it at Tattersall's."
"There was an expert as I showed it to says it is your handwriting,
Captain 'Oshspur."
"He lies!" said Cousin George, fiercely.
"But when Stubber would have half the sale money, for the
commission--and wanted it all too! lord, how he did curse and swear!
That was bad, Captain 'Oshspur."
Then Cousin George swallowed his fierceness for a time, and proceeded
to explain to Mr. Hart that Sir Harry would certainly pay all his
debts if only those little details could be kept back to which Mr.
Hart had so pathetically alluded. Above all it would be necessary to
preserve in obscurity that little mistake which had been made as to
the pawning of the commission. Cousin George told a great many lies,
but he told also much that was true. The Jew did not believe one of
the lies; but then, neither did he believe much of the truth. When
George had finished his story, then Mr. Hart had a story of his own
to tell.
"To let you know all about it, Captain 'Oshspur, the old gent has
begun about it already."
"What, Sir Harry?"
"Yes, Sir 'Arry. Mr. Boltby--"
"He's the family lawyer."
"I suppose so, Captain 'Oshspur. Vell, he vas here yesterday, and vas
very polite. If I'd just tell him all about everything, he thought
as 'ow the Baronet would settle the affair off 'and. He vas very
generous in his offer, vas Mr. Boltby; but he didn't say nothin' of
any marriage, Captain 'Oshspur."
"Of course he didn't. You are not such a fool as to suppose he
would."
"No; I ain't such a fool as I looks, Captain Oshspur, am I? I didn't
think it likely, seeing vat vas the nature of his interrogatories.
Mr. Boltby seemed to know a good deal. It is astonishing how much
them fellows do know."
"You didn't tell him anything?"
"Not much, Captain 'Oshspur--not at fust starting. I'm a going to
have my money, you know, Captain 'Oshspur. And if I see my vay to my
money one vay, and if I don't see no vay the other vay, vy, vhat's
a man to do? You can't blame me, Captain 'Oshspur. I've been very
indulgent with you; I have, Captain 'Oshspur."
Cousin George promised, threatened, explained, swore by all his
gods, and ended by assuring Mr. Abraham Hart that his life and death
were in that gentleman's keeping. If Mr. Hart would only not betray
him, the money would be safe and the marriage would be safe, and
everything would easily come right. Over and above other things,
Cousin George would owe to Mr. Abraham Hart a debt of gratitude which
never would be wholly paid. Mr. Hart could only say that he meant to
have his money, but that he did not mean to be "ungenteel." Much in
his opinion must depend on what Stubber would do. As for Stubber,
he couldn't speak to Stubber himself, as he and Stubber "were two."
As for himself, if he could get his money he certainly would not be
"ungenteel." And he meant what he said--meant more than he said. He
would still run some risk rather than split on an old customer such
as "Captain 'Oshspur." But now that a sudden way to his money was
opened to him, he could not undertake to lose sight of it.
With a very heavy heart Cousin George went from Mr. Hart's house to
the house of call of Captain Stubber. Mr. Boltby had been before him
with Hart, and he augured the worst from Sir Harry's activity in the
matter. If Mr. Boltby had already seen the Captain, all his labour
would probably be too late. Where Captain Stubber lived, even so
old a friend of his as Cousin George did not know. And in what way
Captain Stubber had become a captain, George, though he had been a
military man himself, had never learned. But Captain Stubber had a
house of call in a very narrow, dirty little street near Red Lion
Square. It was close to a public-house, but did not belong to the
public-house. George Hotspur, who had been very often to the place
of call, had never seen there any appurtenances of the Captain's
business. There were no account-books, no writing-table, no ink even,
except that contained in a little box with a screw, which Captain
Stubber would take out of his own pocket. Mr. Hart was so far
established and civilized as to keep a boy whom he called a clerk;
but Captain Stubber seemed to keep nothing. A dirty little girl at
the house of call would run and fetch Captain Stubber, if he were
within reach; but most usually an appointment had to be made with
the Captain. Cousin George well remembered the day when his brother
Captain first made his acquaintance. About two years after the
commencement of his life in London, Captain Stubber had had an
interview with him in the little waiting-room just within the club
doors. Captain Stubber then had in his possession a trumpery note of
hand with George's signature, which, as he stated, he had "done" for
a small tradesman with whom George had been fool enough to deal for
cigars. From that day to the present he and Captain Stubber had been
upon most intimate and confidential terms. If there was any one in
the world whom Cousin George really hated, it was Captain Stubber.
On this occasion Captain Stubber was forthcoming after a delay of
about a quarter of an hour. During that time Cousin George had stood
in the filthy little parlour of the house of call in a frame of mind
which was certainly not to be envied. Had Mr. Boltby also been with
Captain Stubber? He knew his two creditors well enough to understand
that the Jew, getting his money, would be better pleased to serve
him than to injure him. But the Captain would from choice do him an
ill turn. Nothing but self-interest would tie up Captain Stubber's
tongue. Captain Stubber was a tall thin gentleman, probably over
sixty years of age, with very seedy clothes, and a red nose. He
always had Berlin gloves, very much torn about the fingers, carried
a cotton umbrella, wore--as his sole mark of respectability--a very
stiff, clean, white collar round his neck, and invariably smelt of
gin. No one knew where he lived, or how he carried on his business;
but, such as he was, he had dealings with large sums of money, or at
least with bills professing to stand for large sums, and could never
have been found without a case in his pocket crammed with these
documents. The quarter of an hour seemed to George to be an age; but
at last Captain Stubber knocked at the front door and was shown into
the room.
"How d'ye do, Captain Stubber?" said George.
"I'd do a deal better, Captain Hotspur, if I found it easier
sometimes to come by my own."
"Well, yes; but no doubt you have your profit in the delay, Captain
Stubber."
"It's nothing to you, Captain Hotspur, whether I have profit or loss.
All you 'as got to look to is to pay me what you owe me. And I intend
that you shall, or by G---- you shall suffer for it! I'm not going to
stand it any longer. I know where to have you, and have you I will."
Cousin George was not quite sure whether the Captain did know where
to have him. If Mr. Boltby had been with him, it might be so; but
then Captain Stubber was not a man so easily found as Mr. Hart, and
the connection between himself and the Captain might possibly have
escaped Mr. Boltby's inquiries. It was very difficult to tell the
story of his love to such a man as Captain Stubber, but he did tell
it. He explained all the difficulties of Sir Harry's position in
regard to the title and the property, and he was diffuse upon his own
advantages as head of the family, and of the need there was that he
should marry the heiress.
"But there is not an acre of it will come to you unless he gives it
you?" inquired Captain Stubber.
"Certainly not," said Cousin George, anxious that the Captain should
understand the real facts of the case to a certain extent.
"And he needn't give you the girl?"
"The girl will give herself, my friend."
"And he needn't give the girl the property?"
"But he will. She is his only child."
"I don't believe a word about it. I don't believe such a one as Sir
Harry Hotspur would lift his hand to help such as you."
"He has offered to pay my debts already."
"Very well. Let him make the offer to me. Look here, Captain Hotspur,
I am not a bit afraid of you, you know."
"Who asks you to be afraid?"
"Of all the liars I ever met with, you are the worst."
George Hotspur smiled, looking up at the red nose of the malignant
old man as though it were a joke; but that which he had to hear at
this moment was a heavy burden. Captain Stubber probably understood
this, for he repeated his words.
"I never knew any liar nigh so bad as you. And then there is such a
deal worse than lies. I believe I could send you to penal servitude,
Captain Hotspur."
"You could do no such thing," said Cousin George, still trying to
look as though it were a joke, "and you don't think you could."
"I'll do my best at any rate, if I don't have my money soon. You
could pay Mr. Hart two thousand pounds, but you think I'm nobody."
"I am making arrangements now for having every shilling paid to you."
"Yes, I see. I've known a good deal about your arrangements. Look
here, Captain Hotspur, unless I have five hundred pounds on or before
Saturday, I'll write to Sir Harry Hotspur, and I'll give him a
statement of all our dealings. You can trust me, though I can't trust
you. Good morning, Captain Hotspur."
Captain Stubber did believe in his heart that he was a man much
injured by Cousin George, and that Cousin George was one whom he was
entitled to despise. And yet a poor wretch more despicable, more
dishonest, more false, more wicked, or more cruel than Captain
Stubber could not have been found in all London. His business
was carried on with a small capital borrowed from a firm of low
attorneys, who were the real holders of the bills he carried, and the
profits which they allowed him to make were very trifling. But from
Cousin George during the last twelve months he had made no profit at
all. And Cousin George in former days had trodden upon him as on a
worm.
Cousin George did not fail to perceive that Mr. Boltby had not as yet
applied to Captain Stubber.