THOMAS AUSTIN, SENIOR
Miss Joyce came into Mr. Elmore's bedroom the next morning before he
was out of it. As a matter of fact, he was arranging his tie before
the looking-glass with that nice care which is becoming to a young
gentleman of looks.
"There's a gentleman come to see you--a Mr. Austin. I should say from
the look of him that he's the father of the Miss Austin who was here
last evening."
"The thing is possible."
"I don't know what he's come about."
"It's conceivable that you soon will know if you keep your ear close
enough to my sitting-room door. Mr. Austin has rather a hearty way of
speaking."
"Don't you talk to me like that! You know I've never played the spy on
you yet, and you know I never will. But don't you make any mistake
about last night. Mr. Dale's got that paper you wrote and my letter in
a sealed envelope, and if you don't turn up on Thursday you'll be
sorry."
"Thank you so much for the information. Now, let me clearly
understand. If, as you put it, I do turn up on Thursday, what is going
to happen--after the ceremony?"
"All I want is my marriage lines. I'm coming straight back home; you
can do as you like."
"If I like can I go through a similar ceremony with Miss Jones or Miss
Brown?"
"If I thought you were going to be up to any game of that sort
I'd--I'd----"
"Yes--you'd what?"
"I'd go and talk to your Mr. Austin to begin with. Don't you get any
ideas of that kind in your head; don't you try it on."
"I've no intention of, as you again put it, 'trying it on,' not I. I
only wondered. Then, at least, you won't insist on the position being
made instantly public?"
"I don't care if it's made public or not. All I want is my marriage
lines--when the time comes."
"And you quite understand that, whatever the relations may be, from
the legal point of view, in which we stand to each other, you'll get
no money out of me, for the sufficient reason that I shall have none
to give you."
"I don't want your money. I don't want anything from you except that
one thing; and--and--mind you do turn up!"
"I've been thinking things over in the silent watches of the night,
and I've quite decided that I will turn up."
"Mind you do!"
"I will, I will; be assured I will. Now I believe I'm ready. I was
thinking of troubling you to tell Mr. Austin that I'll be with him in
a second, but I'll save you that trouble."
"Mind----"
Standing by the door she was beginning a sentence. He cut her short.
"All right, my dear; I'll mind. Would you mind getting out of the
way?"
She moved aside to let him pass. He went down the stairs to his
sitting-room below, quickly, lightly, humming a tune as he went, as if
he had not a care in the world; and with a face which was all sunshine
he entered his visitor's presence.
"My dear Rodney, this is an unconventional hour at which to pay a
call, but I didn't think that in my case you'd mind about conventions,
and I thought that, as I didn't get a chance of speaking to you last
night, I'd have a few words with you before you started for the City.
I suspect that I needn't tell you that I was glad to hear the news
from Stella."
The speaker was a short, sturdily-built, fresh-coloured man, probably
somewhere in the fifties, whose neatly trimmed beard was a shade
whiter than his hair. A pair of bright eyes looked out from behind
gold-rimmed spectacles; about his whole appearance there was a
suggestion of health, vigour, and clean living. He took both the young
man's hands in his, looking up at him as at one whom he both esteemed
and liked.
"You're on the tall side. Stella always did like six-footers. I
shouldn't wonder if that's the main reason why she's contracted a
fondness for you."
Rodney laughed.
"It's very good of you, sir, to look me up in this unceremonious way.
You must join me at breakfast."
"On this occasion I've been an earlier bird than you--I've
breakfasted--but I will join you in a cup of coffee."
Rodney rang the bell. Miss Joyce entered with the breakfast on a tray.
As she was placing the various articles on the table the two men
scarcely spoke. The young man was examining the outsides of three or
four letters which the morning post had brought; the elder, who had
taken up his position before the fireplace, was for the most part
observing Miss Joyce. When she had gone he said:
"That's not a bad-looking young woman. Who is she?"
"She's the landlady's daughter."
"Don't they keep a servant?"
"I fancy they do at intervals, someone who does the rougher work; but
I'm out all day, and I never see her. So far as I'm concerned, either
the mother or the daughter does the waiting."
"Are you the only lodger?"
"Oh, no; there's another man upstairs, who's by way of being a booking
clerk or something. I rather fancy he has an eye in her direction."
"Is that so? Then perhaps that's what worries her. I never saw a young
girl with a whiter face, or one with such an odd look in her eyes. It
quite troubled me."
"How are you, sir? Though I don't think I need ask."
"No, you needn't. As always, I'm in the enjoyment of vulgar health;
nothing ever seems to ail me, though in saying so perhaps I ought to
touch wood. When I heard from Stella yesterday morning I made up my
mind that I would come up to town at once and say what I had to say by
word of mouth, instead of putting it on paper. I arrived in the
afternoon, hoping to see you in the evening; but I didn't. I can tell
you that Stella was very badly disappointed. I think she was
unreasonable; but girls are! You'll have to make your peace to-day. I
daresay you won't find it very difficult. This is very bad news about
your uncle. I see the inquest is in the morning's paper."
"Is it, sir? As yet I haven't seen a paper."
"From what I can gather he was suffering from some form of malignant
disease, and, it seems, in a fit of despair, took his own life. Poor
fellow! It's easy to judge such cases, but I often feel that God, who
is love, understands and pardons. I hope I'm saying nothing that I
ought not to say. Mrs. Austin will have it that I oughtn't to talk
like that, but that's how I do feel. Will his death make any
difference to you?"
"Do you mean has he left me anything? No, sir; not a penny."
"What becomes of the business?"
"According to the will it's to be carried on by the managing man for
the benefit of those mentioned in the will."
"Of whom you're not one?"
"No, sir, I am not."
"Then that makes what I have to say all the easier. I am glad to hear
that you're going to be Stella's husband; Mrs. Austin is glad to hear
it; I'm sure Tom will be glad to hear it--in fact, we're all of us
glad to hear it."
"It's very kind of you to say so, sir, considering what an ineligible
son-in-law I am. Here is a letter from Tom this morning. Shall I open
it and see what he says?"
"You needn't. I've no doubt it conveys his congratulations in his own
vernacular. I know Tom and his letters. There are some things about
the governance of this world which I don't understand, which shows I
am not omniscient. Experience teaches me that when a man has a son and
a good business the son will have none of it, and can with difficulty
be brought to believe that the business offers a good opening for him;
whereas if a man has a son and no business, the son is apt to look
upon it almost as a grievance that his father has no business in which
to give him an opening. Instances of the kind are so common that I've
nearly come to look upon them as illustrations of a general rule. Now,
here am I, and there is Tom, and there's the business, producing, even
in these competitive days, quite a comfortable number of thousands a
year. Tom's a born optimist. The only time Eve seen him at all
pessimistic is when I've suggested that those thousands might as well
find their way into his pockets; then he's pessimism gone mad. He'd
sooner raise sheep in Australia, or ranch in Manitoba, or do some
other ridiculous thing. In fact, he once told me--in such matters he's
frankness itself--that he'd rather sweep a crossing than be what he
called imprisoned for life in the warehouse at Leicester. I'll do him
this justice--that I believe his instincts are right, because I've
never seen anything about him to lead me to suppose that in him are
the makings of a business man. That's a pretty quandary for a man to
be in who has a good business and an only son. Now, Rodney, I've
always liked you. It's true that I've sometimes felt that a
decent-looking young fellow occasionally finds it difficult to steer
clear of quicksands which are represented by nice-looking persons of
the opposite sex; but I've never had any tangible or serious charge
to bring against you, and I've no doubt that when you're married
there'll be only one woman in the world to you, and she will be your
wife."
As the speaker paused, apparently with the intention of giving the
other an opening, Rodney said with a smile:
"I'm at least glad, sir, that you've no tangible or serious charge to
bring against me."
"Well, no, I haven't. At the same time--however, we'll let bygones be
bygones. I daresay I'd an eye for more than one pretty girl before I'd
a Mrs. Austin. I do know you're clever, with great charm of manner. I
sometimes wonder if your manners are not almost too charming; but
then, I come of a stocky school--no one's ever accused an Austin of
having a charming manner, and I quite realise that, as things are, in
business personal charm's a valuable asset; and I've been frequently
struck by the fact that you're the possessor of a singularly quick
perception. I think you have what is in reality an instinct, but what
is called on the Stock Exchange a 'nose.' Again, a thing which in a
business man is well worth having."
"You seem to have been observing me with unexpectedly flattering
attention, sir."
"Oh, I've had an eye on you for quite a while. I want you, when you
are Stella's husband, to come into my business. If you turn out as I
hope and expect, I'll make you a partner. I've been imprisoned in the
warehouse all my life, so, as I would like to see more of the world,
soon as you're ready to take my place I should like you to take it.
How would that meet your views?"
"Nothing could please me better, sir. I don't know where I shall find
words with which to thank you even for the suggestion."
"I want no thanks; I want deeds. I'm hopeful that the arrangement will
turn out to our mutual advantage. Now, Rodney, tell me candidly do you
love my girl?"
"Let me put question for question. Do you think I'm the kind of man
who would ask her to be my wife if I didn't?"
"Then why didn't you ask her before?"
"Mr. Austin, you're not quite fair to me."
"How am I unfair?"
"I've loved Stella ever--ever since we were boy and girl together.
I've tried to break myself of loving her, but I haven't succeeded.
I've never been able to dream of anyone but her as wife. You were a
rich man; I was not only penniless, but without prospects. Over and
over again I've been on the point of telling her what I felt, but I've
checked myself. It hasn't been easy, but I've done it. I meant to wait
till I'd some shadow of a right to ask her to be my wife, but last
Saturday, when I saw her dear face, I--I couldn't hold myself in any
longer, and that's the truth."
"I'm glad you couldn't. While I'm quite aware that your sentiments do
you honour, all the same I rather wish that you'd shown a little more
of the perception with which I've credited you. Rodney, is there any
reason why the marriage should be postponed?"
"Mr. Austin, I haven't at the moment five pounds in the world to call
my own. That's the only reason, so far as I'm concerned; but some
fathers would think it a quite sufficient one."
Mr. Austin's eyes twinkled behind his glasses as he settled his
spectacles on his nose.
"I suppose they would, if you look at it in that way. You don't paint
your position too attractively."
"It couldn't be worse than it is."
"You're not in debt?"
"Oh, I'm not in debt; I don't know who'd give me credit if I wanted
it. I've just enough to live on, as it were, from hand to mouth; but,
with all the goodwill in the world and all the management, I don't see
how it's going to be enough for two."
"I see. You put the position with some clearness. As you say, some
fathers would think it a sufficient reason for postponement, but I'm
not one of them. As you perhaps know, Stella has some means of her
own."
"Isn't that one of the reasons why I--I kept quiet for so long?"
"And on her marriage I shall settle a further sum on her, besides
making other arrangements. For instance, I shall, as I have said, be
glad to receive you in my business, giving you at the commencement a
salary which will enable you to contribute towards some of the
expenses of a wife, with the prospect of a partnership in the early
future. Now, do you see any reason why there should be any
postponement so far as you're concerned?"
"I shall be only too delighted to marry Stella next week."
"Next week is a little early perhaps; but what do you say to next
month?"
"If I'm Stella's husband next month I shall be the happiest man in the
world."
He looked and sounded as if he meant it.
"You understand that in matters of this sort it is the lady who has
the final word, but you have my authority to tell Stella that if she
can see her way to stand with you at the altar in a month or earlier,
she will make her mother and father happy, to say nothing of you. Now
suppose you come and spend the day with us?"
"My dear sir! I must go to the City."
"Meaning to your late uncle's office? Why? Can't you scribble a note
as soon as you've finished breakfast, and make an end of that?"
"It's impossible; I must go to-day."
"Very well. Go to-day, and say you're not coming to-morrow, or ever
again. Say good-bye."
"I'm afraid that that wouldn't be playing the game. I ought to go, at
any rate, till the end of the week."
"Very well. Perhaps you're right in not wishing to leave them in the
lurch, if the departure of such a junior clerk as I understand you are
would be leaving them in the lurch. Then on Saturday you'll come down
with me to Leicester, and on Monday I'll introduce you to the
warehouse. It will be just as well that you should have a look round
before you're actually installed."
Here was Mr. Austin mapping out everything for him, as he had foreseen
long ago would be the case if he ever committed himself to Stella;
treating him as a puppet who would be content to dance when he pulled
the strings. He had no doubt that Mrs. Austin would be ready to play
the same motherly part in the management of his domestic affairs. He
smiled as he thought of it. His would-be father-in-law went on:
"I'm going to write to Mrs. Austin and wire to Tom; I want to arrange
a little dinner for to-morrow in honour of a certain auspicious event.
Stella tells me she wants you all to herself to-night, and I'm not to
interfere. I don't know what she wants you for, I'm sure, but I've
promised not to interfere. She'll pull a face when she sees you've not
returned with me, so you come early; after disappointing her twice--on
Sunday and last night--she'll think that you can't come too early."
"I'll leave the office as early as I can--trust me for that!--rush
back here, dress, and come right on."
"Dress! You needn't dress! They're homely folk at Kensington, and
Stella will excuse you; she won't want you to waste, in dressing,
valuable time which might be spent with her. You come straight on from
the office in your toil-stained garments. She'll want to know what
time. Shall I say five? I dare say, at a pinch, you can manage to be
in Kensington by five."
Rodney considered. If he did go straight on from the office he would
at least escape the risk of another heated discussion with Miss
Joyce--that would be something.
"Very well, sir; if Stella will forgive me coming as I am, as you say,
all toil-stained, I'll try my best to be with her as near as possible
to five."