"Some, as I have said, might have tried by marriage or strict economy to
better their condition. But Mr Romer did neither. He married the lady
of his choice, who had nothing; then, after marriage, he kept up the old
style at Romer Court.
"After a few years his income had dwindled down to nine hundred, and
then he tried, by speculating, to regain what he had lost. His
speculations were not lucky ones. The friends he trusted failed him at
the finish, so that when he died, twelve months after your mother, he
was responsible for more than the small income left him, and had only
mortgaged property to leave behind, a large number of personal debts,
and nothing else to leave."
"Then where did the money come from to keep me all these years at
school, Mr Raymond?" Asked Ned, quickly.
The lawyer flushed a brickly flush as he answered--"Well, I am coming to
that subject, my dear young friend. When I undertook your father's
affairs, I went to work energetically and justly, yet without
sentiment--lawyers do not work often in that vein. I mastered the debts
of honour and the extent of the mortgages, and managed to scrape
sufficient to pay for your education."
"Then there is nothing left for me?" Asked Ned, blankly.
"Softly, softly, my dear boy. In ten or twelve years from now I hope,
D.V., to have a good balance for you at the bank, and an income of five
or six hundred pounds for you. I have almost settled all the personal
debts, and am now working to reduce the mortgages."
"Yes. But how about the present? Can I not realise any money?"
"I have made some arrangements with my own bank, and can let you have a
lump sum of say five hundred pounds on your note of hand, only if I do
this it will mean drawing your income until you are of age."
"I am quite willing to sign any document you like if you can do this
without inconveniencing yourself, Mr Romer," said Ned, eagerly.
Mr Jabez Raymond gazed upon his ward for a few moments silently, while
he appeared to think. Then he spoke.
"It is not exactly professional; but as you wish to try your fortune in
Africa, while from all reports, Africa is the coming land for
fortune-making, I think it can be done. I wish you first to read over
carefully these documents, in which all I have told you is written, and
also examine carefully this parchment, which I have drawn up for you to
sign--examine them and consult together about them. When you have done
this, if you decide to have the money down now, instead of drawing it
quarterly for the next four years, you can let me know on my return at
lunch-time."
Mr Jabez rose as he said these words, and leaving the boys to study the
pile of parchment, he went out to attend to his other business.
They had been accustomed to difficult problems at Dr Heardman's
Academy, but those were simple to solve compared to the understanding of
these legally obscured documents. After a long hour of bewilderment,
Ned laid them down respectfully in a heap, and turned dolefully upon his
trusty but equally befogged comrades.
"Well, boys, what do you make out of these mysteries?"
"Nothing, except a dry throat and an aching head," replied Clarence
Raybold.
"Let's go for a walk, and get some gooseberries. I'm not going to
attempt the impossible," cried Ned, decidedly.
This proposal was grateful to the others, so together they went out to
the sun, and enjoyed themselves till lunch-time. After lunch the lawyer
read over the document which required the signature of Ned. It sounded
all right, although terribly garnished with obscure phrases. There were
blank spaces to be afterwards filled up, such as the amounts received,
with the terms of repayment, dates, and conditions, which Mr Jabez
explained as he read in his most fatherly tones.
It sounded all right, therefore Ned put his name boldly at the bottom in
the presence of Miss Priscilla Raymond and his two friends, who
afterwards signed theirs as witnesses.
This document dried, and locked with other papers into Mr Raymond's
safe, the lawyer drew a cheque in his own name and went to the bank to
get it cashed.