A year slipped rapidly away, full of changes for some people, no doubt;
but to me it was very uneventful. I worked away at my profession
steadily, liking it better every day, and for nothing more strongly than
that it gave me knowledge that I felt would be of advantage to Stephen
Hallett, with whom I grew more intimate than ever.
The home at Great Ormond Street seemed now less sombre and desolate; for
since her serious illness, from which poor Linny had been literally
nursed back into life by Mary and Hallett, the girl was completely
changed.
As she began to mend, I used to find a great deal of time to go and sit
with her; for her return to strength was very slow, and the poor worn
face would light up and the great staring eyes brighten whenever I went
into the room with some little offering or another that I thought would
please her. Sometimes it would be flowers, or fruit, or any little
delicacy that I thought she would fancy; but the greatest pleasure I
could give her was to take some fresh book, and sit and read.
She used to lie upon a couch near the window, where she could look out
upon the sky, and when I was not there I suppose she would lie like
that, thinking, for hours, without speaking a word.
Mary had grown to be quite an institution at the place, and the two
invalids at last took up so much of her time, that a scheme was one day
proposed by me, consequent upon an announcement made to me by Hallett.
"We shall be obliged to leave," he said. "The tenants of this house are
going away."
"But it will be terrible work, Hallett," I said. "How will Linny and
Mrs Hallett bear the change?"
"I hope patiently and well," he said quietly, and the subject dropped;
but an idea had occurred to me which I hastened to put in force.
My first step was to write to Miss Carr, whom I had not seen for many,
many months, as, directly after the meeting with Mr Lister she had gone
on the Continent with her newly-married sister, whose husband had an
official appointment at Marseilles, and had resided with her ever since.
I was grievously disappointed at having to part with so good a friend;
but she promised to write to me every week, and gave me the strictest
injunctions to send to her for advice or help whenever I should find
myself in need.
I had no hesitation whatever, then, in asking her in my weekly letter
for help to carry out my plan, and that was to find Revitts and Mary the
money to buy the lease of the house in Great Ormond Street, so that Mary
would be better able to attend to her friends, and, while acting as
their landlady, supply me with better rooms as well.
I broached the subject to Revitts and his wife that very evening, and
the former nodded.
"How much would it take, Ant'ny?" he said.
"The lease would be a hundred pounds," I said. "Then the rent is
eighty."
"That's a deal of money, my dear," said Mary; "and then there's the
rates."
"Yes," I said; "but then look here, Mary; I should like a sitting-room
as well as a bedroom now, and I could pay you twenty-five or thirty
pounds a year for that. I know Mr Hallett pays twenty-six for what he
has, and you could, as you often said you would like to, let another
floor; for it is a large house. I think you would live rent-free."
"There," cried Revitts, giving the table a slap. "What do you think of
that, Polly?"
"Think of what?" she said tartly; for the seriousness of the subject
unsettled her.
"What he says. D'ye hear his business-like way of reckoning it up: so
much for this here, and so much for that there? He couldn't have talked
like that when he come up to London first, as green as a bit o' grass.
That's my teaching, that is. I knew I could sharpen him up."
"Don't be so conceited, Bill," she exclaimed. "But a large house means
lots of furniture, Master Antony. No, I don't think it would do. We
haven't enough."
"But I've written to Miss Carr, to ask her to let me have the money for
you."
Revitts got up out of his chair, where he was partaking of tea and bread
and butter in a rather wholesale style, pulled himself together,
buttoned up his coat, took a couple of official strides to where I sat,
and, taking my hand, began shaking it up and down for some moments.
Then he gave Mary three or four wags of the head and nods, and went back
to his tea, unbuttoning the while.
"That's very nice and kind of you, Master Antony," she said; "but that
money would be only borrowed, and it would have to be paid back again,
and sit upon us like lumps of lead till it was--"
"Oh, nonsense, Mary, I don't believe Miss Carr would ever want it back--
I think she'll give me the money. And besides, I mean to furnish my own
rooms, so that will be two less."
"Hark at that now!" said Revitts, giving his head a wag.
"I don't want to seem conceited, but I should like to improve my room,
and have a place for my books, and be able to bring a friend home to
have tea or supper with me when I liked."
"That's quite right," said Revitts approvingly; "but we should want
close upon two hundred pounds, Master Ant'ny, you know."
"Yes, you ought to have two hundred and fifty pounds."
Mary shook her head, and seemed to tighten up her face, buttering the
bread she had before her the while.
"Here, I say, come, Polly, I know we should have to begin saving," said
Revitts, in tones of remonstrance; "but don't begin to-night. Stick a
little more butter on that there bread."
Mary complied, the meal went on, and I left them at last to talk the
matter over, thoroughly upset by my proposals.
They opposed them for some days to come; but when, at last, I received a
kind letter from Miss Carr, bidding me tell Mary how glad she was to
hear of her plans, and that they were to be sure and include a
comfortable bed and sitting-room for me, the day was carried, especially
as the letter contained a cheque for 250 pounds; though they would not
take all this, the steady, hoarding couple being able to produce between
them enough to pay in full for the lease, which was duly assigned and
placed in Revitts' hands by Tom Girtley, who was progressing fast with
the firm of solicitors to whom he had been articled.
The first intimation that Hallett received of the change was from
Revitts himself, who called one day on his way home to announce with
suppressed glee that he was the new landlord, and to ask if there was
anything that Mr Hallett would like done.