"Well, I am extremely glad thou hadst wit enough to keep it snug, for
now the time has come to put it to some use. My father and I have a scheme
on foot by which we shall realize immense profit. The more engines we set
to work, the greater and more speedy will be the ultimate advantage. It
occurred to me that you had some money, and that, unless it were better
employed, it would be but justice to allow you to throw it into stock. If,
therefore, you are willing, it shall be done. What say you, Jane?"
This proposal was totally unexpected. I harboured not a moment's doubt
as to the conduct it became me to pursue; but how to declare my
resolutions, or state my reasons for declining his offer, I knew not.
At last I stammered out that my aunt had bequeathed me this money with
views as to the future disposition of it from which I did not think myself
at liberty to swerve.
"And pray," said he, with some heat, "what were these profound
views?"
"They were simple and obvious views. She knew my sex and education laid
me under peculiar difficulties as to subsistence. As affairs then stood,
there was little danger of my ever being reduced to want or dependence;
but still there was a possibility of this. To insure me against this
possible evil, she left me this sum, to be used only for subsistence, and
when I should be deprived of all other means."
"Go on," said my brother. "Repeat the clause in which she forbids you,
if at any time the opportunity should be offered of doubling or trebling
your money and thereby effectually securing that independence which she
wished to bequeath to you, to profit by the offer. Pray, repeat that
clause."
"Indeed," said I, innocently, "there is no such clause."
"I am glad to hear it. I was afraid that she was silly enough to insert
some such prohibition. On the contrary, the scheme I propose to you will
merely execute your aunt's great purpose. Instead of forbidding, she would
have earnestly exhorted you, had she been a prophetess as well as a saint,
to close with such an offer as I now make you, in which, I can assure you,
I have your own good as well as my own in view."
Observing my silent and perplexed air, "Why, Jane," said he, "surely
you cannot hesitate? What is your objection? Perhaps you are one of those
provident animals who look before they leap, and, having gained a monopoly
of wisdom, will take no scheme upon trust. You must examine with your own
eyes. I will explain the affair to you, if you choose, and convince you
beyond controversy that your money may be trebled in a twelvemonth."
"You know, brother, I can be no judge of any scheme that is at all
intricate."
"There is no intricacy here. All is perfectly simple and obvious. I can
make the case as plain to you, in three minutes, as that you have two
thumbs. In the English cottons, in the first place, there is----"
"Nay, brother, it is entirely unnecessary to explain the scheme. My
determinations will not be influenced by a statement which no mortal
eloquence will make intelligible to me."
"Well, then, you consent to my proposal?"
"I would rather you would look elsewhere for a partner in your
undertaking."
"The girl's a fool!--Why, what do you fear? suspect? You surely cannot
doubt my being faithful to your interest? You will not insult me so much
as to suppose that I would defraud you of your money? If you do,--for I
know I do not stand very high in your opinion,--if you doubt my honesty, I
will give you the common proofs of having received your money. Nay, so
certain am I of success, that I will give you my note, bond, what you
please, for thrice the amount, payable in one year."
"My brother's bond will be of no use to me; I shall never go to law
with my brother."
"Well, then, what will satisfy you?"
"I am easily satisfied, brother. I am contented with things just as
they are. The sum, indeed, is a trifle, but it will answer all my humble
purposes."
"Then you will," replied he, struggling with his rage, "you will not
agree?"
My silence was an unequivocal answer.
"You turn out to be what I always thought you,--a little, perverse,
stupid, obstinate--But take time;" (softening his tone a little;) "take
time to consider of it.
"Some unaccountable oddity, some freak, must have taken hold of you
just now and turned your wits out of door. 'Tis impossible you should
deliberately reject such an offer. Why, girl, three thousand dollars has a
great sound, perhaps, to your ears, but you'll find it a most wretched
pittance if you should ever be obliged to live upon it. The interest would
hardly buy you garters and topknots. You live, at this moment, at the rate
of six times the sum. You are now a wretched and precarious dependant on
Mrs. Fielder: her marriage (a very likely thing for one of her habits,
fortune, and age) will set you afloat in the world; and then where will be
your port? Your legacy, in any way you can employ it, will not find you
bread. Three times the sum might answer, perhaps; and that, if you will
fall on my advice, you may now attain in a single twelvemonth. Consider
these things, and I will call on you in the evening for your final
answer."
He was going, but I mustered resolution enough to call him back:--
"Brother, one word. All deliberation in this case is superfluous. You may
think my decision against so plausible a scheme perverse and absurd; but,
in this instance, I am fully sensible that I have a right to do as I
please, and shall exert that right, whatever censure I may incur."
"So, then, you are determined not to part with your paltry legacy?"
"I am determined not to part with it."
His eyes sparkled with rage, and, stamping on the floor, he exclaimed,
"Why, then, let me tell you, miss, you are a damned idiot. I knew you were
a fool, but could not believe that your folly would ever carry you to
these lengths!"--Much more in this style did poor Frank utter on this
occasion. I listened trembling, confounded, vexed, and, as soon as I could
recover presence of mind, hastened out of his presence.
This dialogue occupied all my thoughts during that day and the
following. I was sitting, next evening, at twilight, pensively, in my own
apartment, when, to my infinite surprise, my brother was announced. At
parting with him the day before, he swore vehemently that he would never
see my face again if he could help it. I supposed this resolution had
given way to his anxiety to gain my concurrence with his schemes, and
would fain have shunned a second interview. This, however, was impossible.
I therefore composed my tremors as well as I was able, and directed him to
be admitted. The angry emotions of yesterday had disappeared from his
countenance, and he addressed me with his customary carelessness. After a
few trifling preliminaries, he asked me if I had considered the subject of
our yesterday's conversation. I answered that I had supposed that subject
to have been dismissed forever. It was not possible for time or argument
to bring us to the same way of thinking on it. I hoped, therefore, that he
would not compel me to discuss it a second time.
Instead of flying into rage, as I expected, he fixed his eyes
thoughtfully on the floor, and, after a melancholy pause, said, "I
expected to find you invincible on that head. To say truth, I came not to
discuss that subject with you anew. I came merely to ask a trifling
favour." Here he stopped. He was evidently at a loss how to proceed. His
features became more grave, and he actually sighed.
My heart, I believe thou knowest, Harry, is the sport, the mere
plaything, of gratitude and pity. Kindness will melt my firmest
resolutions in a moment. Entreaty will lead me to the world's end. Gentle
accents, mournful looks, in my brother, was a claim altogether
irresistible. The mildness, the condescension which I now witnessed
thrilled to my heart. A grateful tear rushed to my eye, and I almost
articulated, "Dear, dear brother, be always thus kind and thus good, and I
will lay down my life for you."
It was well for us both that my brother had too much pride or too
little cunning to profit by the peculiarities of my temper. Had he put a
brotherly arm around me, and said, in an affectionate tone, "Dear sister,
oblige me," I am afraid I should have instantly complied with the most
indiscreet and extravagant of his requests.
Far otherwise, however, was his deportment. This condescension was
momentary. The words had scarcely escaped him before he seemed to
recollect them as having been unworthy of his dignity. He resumed his
arrogant and careless air, half whistled "ca ira," and glanced at the
garden, with, "A tall poplar that. How old?"
"Not very old, for _I_ planted it."
"Very likely. Just such another giddy head and slender body as the
planter's. But, now I think of it, Jane, since your money is idle, suppose
you lend me five hundred dollars of it till to-morrow. Upon my honour,
I'll repay it then. My calls just now are particularly urgent. See here; I
have brought a _check_ ready filled. It only wants your
signature."
I felt instant and invincible repugnance to this request. I had so long
regarded my brother as void of all discretion, and as habitually
misapplying money to vicious purposes, that I deemed it a crime of no
inconsiderable degree to supply the means of his prodigality. Occasions
were daily occurring in which much good was effected by a few dollars, as
well as much evil produced by the want of them. My imagination pondered on
the evils of poverty much oftener than perhaps was useful, and had thence
contracted a terror--of it not easily controlled. My legacy I had always
regarded as a sacred deposit,--an asylum in distress which nothing but the
most egregious folly would rob or dissipate. Yet now I was called upon to
transfer, by one stroke of the pen, to one who appeared to me to be
engaged in ruinous vices or chimerical projects, so large a portion as
five hundred dollars.
I was no niggardly hoarder of the allowance made me by my mother; but
so diffident was I of my own discernment, that I never laid out twenty
dollars without her knowledge and concurrence. Could I then give away
_five hundred_ of this sacred treasure, bestowed on me for very
different purposes, without her knowledge? It was useless to acquaint her
with my brother's request and solicit her permission. She would never
grant it.
My brother, observing me hesitate, said, "Come, Jane; make haste.
Surely this is no such mighty favour, that you should stand a moment.
'Twill be all the same to you, since I return it to-morrow. May I perish
if I don't!"
I still declined the offered pen:--"For what purpose, brother, surely I
may ask?--so large a sum?"
He laughed:--"A mere trifle, girl;'tis a bare nothing. But, much or
little, you shall have it again, I tell you, to-morrow. Come; time flies.
Take the pen, I say, and make no more words about the matter."
"Impossible, till I know the purpose. Do not urge me to a wrong
thing."
His face reddened with indignation. "A wrong thing! you are fool enough
to tire the patience of a saint. What do I ask, but the loan of a few
dollars for a single day? Money that is absolutely idle; for which you
have no use. You know that my father's property is mine, and that my
possessions are twenty times greater than your own; yet you refuse to lend
this paltry sum for one day. Come, Jane, sister; you have carried your
infatuation far enough. Where a raw girl should gain all these scruples
and punctilios I can't imagine. Pray, what is your objection?"
In these contests with my brother, I was never mistress of my thoughts.
His boisterous, negligent, contemptuous manners awed, irritated,
embarrassed me. To say any thing which implied censure of his morals or
his prudence would be only raising a storm which my womanish spirit could
not withstand. In answer to his expostulations, I only repeated,
"Impossible! I cannot."
Finding me inflexible, he once more gave way to indignation:--"What a
damned oaf! to be thus creeping and cringing to an idiot--a child--an ape!
Nothing but necessity, cruel necessity, would have put me on this task."
Then turning to me, he said, in a tone half supplicating, half
threatening, "Let me ask you once more: will you sign this check? Do not
answer hastily; for much, very much, depends on it. By all that is sacred,
I will return it to you to-morrow. Do it, and save me and your father from
infamy; from ruin; from a prison; from death. _He_ may have cowardice
enough to live and endure his infamy, but _I_ have spirit enough to
die and escape it."
This was uttered with an impetuosity that startled me. The words ruin,
prison, death, rung in my ears, and, almost out of breath, I exclaimed,
"What do you mean? my father go to prison? my father ruined? What do you
mean?"
"I mean what I say. Your signing this check may save me from
irretrievable ruin. This trifling supply, which I can nowhere else
procure, if it comes to-night, may place us out of danger. If delayed till
to-morrow morning, there will be no remedy. I shall receive an adequate
sum to-morrow afternoon, and with that I will replace this."
"My father ruined! In danger of a jail! Good Heaven! Let me fly to him.
Let me know from himself the full extent of the evil." I left my seat with
this purpose, but he stopped me:--"Are you mad, girl? He does not know the
full extent of the evil. Indeed, the evil will be perfectly removed by
this trifling loan. He need not know it." "Ah! my poor father," said I,
"I see thy ruin indeed. Too fatally secure hast thou been; too doting in
thy confidence in others." These words, half articulated, did not escape
my brother. He was at once astonished and enraged by them, and even in
these circumstances could not suppress his resentment.
He had, however, conjured up a spirit in me which made me deaf to his
invective. I made towards the door.
"Where are you going? You shall not leave the room till you have signed
this paper."
'"Nothing but force shall keep me from my father. I will know his true
situation this instant, from his own lips. Let me go. I _will_
go."
I attempted to rush by him, but he shut the door and swore I should
not leave the room till I had complied with his request.
Perceiving me thoroughly in earnest, and indignant in my turn at his
treatment, he attempted to soothe me, by saying that I had misunderstood
him in relation to my father; that he had uttered words at random; that he
was really out of cash at this moment; I should inexpressibly oblige him
by lending him this trifling sum till to-morrow evening.
"Brother, I will deal candidly with you. You think me childish,
ignorant, and giddy. Perhaps I am so; but I have sense enough to resolve,
and firmness enough to adhere to my resolution, never to give money
without thoroughly knowing and fully approving of the purposes to which it
is to be applied. You tell me you are in extreme want of an immediate
supply. Of what nature is your necessity? What has occasioned your
necessity? I will not withhold what will really do you good,--what I am
thoroughly convinced will do you good; but I must first be convinced."
"What would you have more than my word? I tell you it will save your-I
tell you it will serve me essentially. It is surely needless to enter into
long and intricate details, which, ten to one, you will not
understand."
"As you please," said L "I have told you that I will not act in the
dark."
"Well, then, I will explain my situation to you as clearly as
possible."
He then proceeded to state transactions of which I understood nothing.
All was specious and plausible; but I easily perceived the advantages
under which he spoke, and the gross folly of suffering my conduct to be
influenced by representations of whose integrity I had no means of
judging.
I will not detain you longer by this conversation. Suffice it to say,
that I positively refused to comply with his wishes. The altercation that
ensued was fortunately interrupted by the entrance of two or three
visitants, and, after lingering a few minutes, he left the house gloomy
and dissatisfied.
I have gone into these incidents with a minuteness that I fear has
tired you; but I will be more concise for the future. These incidents are
chiefly introductory to others of a more affecting nature, and to those I
must now hasten. Meanwhile, I will give some little respite to my
fingers.