On Randal's return to town, he heard mixed and contradictory rumours
in the streets, and at the clubs of the probable downfall of the
Government at the approaching session of Parliament. These rumours
had sprung up suddenly, as if in an hour. True that, for some time,
the sagacious had shaken their heads and said, "Ministers could
not last." True that certain changes in policy, a year or two
before, had divided the party on which the Government depended, and
strengthened that which opposed it. But still its tenure in office
had been so long, and there seemed so little power in the Opposition
to form a cabinet of names familiar to official ears, that the
general public had anticipated, at most, a few partial changes.
Rumour now went far beyond this. Randal, whose whole prospects at
present were but reflections from the greatness of his patron, was
alarmed. He sought Egerton, but the minister was impenetrable, and
seemed calm, confident, and imperturbed. Somewhat relieved, Randal
then set himself to work to find a safe home for Riccabocca; for the
greater need to succeed in obtaining fortune there, if he failed in
getting it through Egerton. He found a quiet house, detached and
secluded, in the neighbourhood of Norwood. No vicinity more secure
from espionage and remark. He wrote to Riccabocca, and communicated
the address, adding fresh assurances of his own power to be of
use. The next morning he was seated in his office, thinking very
little of the details, that he mastered, however, with mechanical
precision, when the minister who presided over that department of
the public service sent for him into his private room, and begged
him to take a letter to Egerton, with whom he wished to consult
relative to a very important point to be decided in the Cabinet
that day. "I want you to take it," said the minister smiling, (the
minister was a frank, homely man,) "because you are in Mr Egerton's
confidence, and he may give you some verbal message besides a
written reply. Egerton is often over cautious and brief in the
_litera scripta_."
Randal went first to Egerton's neighbouring office--he had not been
there that day. He then took a cabriolet and drove to Grosvenor
Square. A quiet-looking chariot was at the door. Mr Egerton was at
home; but the servant said, "Dr F. is with him, sir; and perhaps he
may not like to be disturbed."
"What, is your master ill?"
"Not that I know of, sir. He never says he is ill. But he has looked
poorly the last day or two."
Randal hesitated a moment; but his commission might be important,
and Egerton was a man who so held the maxim, that health and all
else must give way to business, that he resolved to enter; and,
unannounced, and unceremoniously, as was his wont, he opened the
door of the library. He started as he did so. Audley Egerton was
leaning back on the sofa, and the doctor, on his knees before him,
was applying the stethoscope to his breast. Egerton's eyes were
partially closed as the door opened. But at the noise he sprang
up, nearly oversetting the doctor. "Who's that?--How dare you!" he
exclaimed, in a voice of great anger. Then recognising Randal, he
changed colour, bit his lip, and muttered drily, "I beg pardon for
my abruptness; what do you want, Mr Leslie?"
"This letter from Lord ----; I was told to deliver it immediately
into your own hands; I beg pardon--"
"There is no cause," said Egerton, coldly. "I have had a slight
attack of bronchitis; and as Parliament meets so soon, I must take
advice from my doctor, if I would be heard by the reporters. Lay the
letter on the table, and be kind enough to wait for my reply."
Randal withdrew. He had never seen a physician in that house before,
and it seemed surprising that Egerton should even take a medical
opinion upon a slight attack. While waiting in the ante-room
there was a knock at the street door, and presently a gentleman,
exceedingly well dressed, was shown in, and honoured Randal with
an easy and half familiar bow. Randal remembered to have met this
personage at dinner, and at the house of a young nobleman of high
fashion, but had not been introduced to him, and did not even know
him by name. The visitor was better informed.
"Our friend Egerton is busy, I hear, Mr Leslie," said he, arranging
the camelia in his button hole.
"Our friend Egerton!" It must be a very great man to say, "Our
friend Egerton."
"He will not be engaged long, I dare say," returned Randal, glancing
his shrewd inquiring eye over the stranger's person.
"I trust not; my time is almost as precious as his own. I was
not so fortunate as to be presented to you when we met at Lord
Spendquick's. Good fellow, Spendquick; and decidedly clever."
Lord Spendquick was usually esteemed a gentleman without three ideas.
Randal smiled.
In the meanwhile the visitor had taken out a card from an embossed
morocco case, and now presented it to Randal, who read thereon,
"Baron Levy, No. --, Bruton St."
The name was not unknown to Randal. It was a name too often on the
lips of men of fashion not to have reached the ears of an _habitué_
of good society.
Mr Levy had been a solicitor by profession. He had of late years
relinquished his ostensible calling; and not long since, in
consequence of some services towards the negotiation of a loan, had
been created a baron by one of the German kings. The wealth of Mr
Levy was said to be only equalled by his good nature to all who were
in want of a temporary loan, and with sound expectations of repaying
it some day or other.
You seldom saw a finer-looking man than Baron Levy--about the
same age as Egerton, but looking younger: so well preserved--such
magnificent black whiskers--such superb teeth! Despite his name and
his dark complexion, he did not, however, resemble a Jew--at least
externally; and, in fact, he was not a Jew on the father's side,
but the natural son of a rich English _grand seigneur_, by a Hebrew
lady of distinction--in the opera. After his birth, this lady had
married a German trader of her own persuasion, and her husband had
been prevailed upon, for the convenience of all parties, to adopt
his wife's son, and accord to him his own Hebrew name. Mr Levy
senior was soon left a widower, and then the real father, though
never actually owning the boy, had shown him great attention--had
him frequently at his house--initiated him betimes into his own
high-born society, for which the boy showed great taste. But when my
Lord died, and left but a moderate legacy to the younger Levy, who
was then about eighteen, that ambiguous person was articled to an
attorney by his putative sire, who shortly afterwards returned to
his native land, and was buried at Prague, where his tombstone may
yet be seen. Young Levy, however, continued to do very well without
him. His real birth was generally known, and rather advantageous
to him in a social point of view. His legacy enabled him to become
a partner where he had been a clerk, and his practice became great
amongst the fashionable classes of society. Indeed he was so useful,
so pleasant, so much a man of the world, that he grew intimate with
his clients--chiefly young men of rank; was on good terms with both
Jew and Christian; and being neither one nor the other, resembled
(to use Sheridan's incomparable simile) the blank page between the
Old and the New Testament.
Vulgar, some might call Mr Levy, from his assurance, but it was not
the vulgarity of a man accustomed to low and coarse society--rather
the _mauvais ton_ of a person not sure of his own position, but
who has resolved to swagger into the best one he can get. When it
is remembered that he had made his way in the world, and gleaned
together an immense fortune, it is needless to add that he was as
sharp as a needle, and as hard as a flint. No man had had more
friends, and no man had stuck by them more firmly--as long as there
was a pound in their pockets!
Something of this character had Randal heard of the Baron, and he
now gazed, first at his card, and then at him, with--admiration.
"I met a friend of yours at Borrowwell's the other day," resumed the
Baron--"Young Hazeldean. Careful fellow--quite a man of the world."
As this was the last praise poor Frank deserved, Randal again smiled.
The Baron went on--"I hear, Mr Leslie, that you have much influence
over this same Hazeldean. His affairs are in a sad state. I should
be very happy to be of use to him, as a relation of my friend
Egerton's; but he understands business so well that he despises my
advice."
"I am sure you do him injustice."
"Injustice! I honour his caution. I say to every man, 'Don't come to
me--I can get you money on much easier terms than any one else;' and
what's the result? You come so often that you ruin yourself; whereas
a regular usurer without conscience frightens you. 'Cent per cent,'
you say; 'oh, I must pull in.' If you have influence over your
friend, tell him to stick to his bill-brokers, and have nothing to
do with Baron Levy."
Here the minister's bell rung, and Randal, looking through the
window, saw Dr F. walking to his carriage, which had made way for
Baron Levy's splendid cabriolet--a cabriolet in the most perfect
taste--Baron's coronet on the dark brown panels--horse black, with
such action!--harness just relieved with plating. The servant now
entered, and requested Randal to step in; and addressing the Baron,
assured him that he would not be detained a minute.
"Leslie," said the minister, sealing a note, "take this back to Lord
----, and say that I shall be with him in an hour."
"No other message?--he seemed to expect one."
"I dare say he did. Well, my letter is official, my message is not;
beg him to see Mr ---- before we meet--he will understand--all rests
upon that interview."
Egerton then, extending the letter, resumed gravely, "Of course you
will not mention to any one that Dr F. was with me: the health of
public men is not to be suspected. Hum--were you in your own room or
the ante-room?"
"The ante-room, sir."
Egerton's brow contracted slightly. "And Mr Levy was there, eh?"
"Yes--the Baron."
"Baron! true. Come to plague me about the Mexican loan, I suppose. I
will keep you no longer."
Randal, much meditating, left the house, and re-entered his hack
cab. The Baron was admitted to the statesman's presence.