It was a long, thin, white finger, one which had felt the throbbing of
hundreds and thousands of pulses, and Doctor Praed, after viciously
flicking at a fly which tried persistently to settle upon his
ivory-white, shiny, bald head, hooked that finger into Clive Reed's
button-hole, just below the white rosebud Janet had given him a little
earlier in the evening.
"Mind the flower."
"All right, puppy. Come here. I want to talk to you."
"About Janet?"
"Pish! mawkish youth. Great ugly fellow like you thinking of nothing
else but Janet. Wait till you've been her slave as I have for eighteen
years."
"Pleasant slavery, Doctor," said the young man, smiling, as he allowed
himself to be led out on to the verandah just over the gas-lamp which
helped to light up Great Guildford Street, W.C.
"Is it, sir? You don't know what a jealous little she-tartar she is."
"I warn you I shall tell her every word you say, Doctor. But it's of no
good. I shall not back out. Look at her dear face now."
Reed caught the little Doctor by the shoulder, and pointed to where his
daughter sat with the light of one of the shaded lamps falling upon her
pretty, animated face, as she laughed at something a sharp-looking,
handsome young man was saying--an anecdote of some kind which amused the
rest of the group in old Grantham Reed's drawing-room.
"Oh yes, she's pretty enough," said the Doctor testily. "I wish she
weren't. Don't let that brother of yours be quite so civil to her, boy.
I don't like Jessop."
"Nor me?" said the young man, smiling.
"Of course I don't, sir. Hang it all! how can a man like the young
scoundrel who robs him of his child's love?"
"No, sir," said Clive Reed gravely; "only evokes a new love that had
lain latent, and offers him the love and respect of a son as well."
Doctor Praed caught the young man's hand in his and gave it a firm
pressure. Then he cleared his throat before he spoke again, but his
voice sounded husky as he said--
"God bless you, my dear boy."
And then he stopped, and stood gazing through the window at the pleasant
little party, as two neatly-dressed maids entered and began to remove
the tea-things, one taking out the great plated urn, while the other
collected the cups and saucers.
"The old man hasn't bad taste in maids," he said, with his voice still a
little shaky, and as if he wanted to steady it before going on with
something he wished to say. "Why don't he have men?"
"He will not. He prefers to have maids about."
"Then he ought to have ugly ones," continued the Doctor, who keenly
watched the movements of the slight, pretty, fair girl who was
collecting the cups, and who exchanged glances with Jessop Reed as she
took the cup and saucer he handed her. "A man who has two ugly
scoundrels of sons has no business to keep damsels like that."
"This ugly scoundrel is always out and busy over mining matters; that
ugly scoundrel is living away at chambers, money-making at the Stock
Exchange," said Clive, smiling.
"Humph! Mining and undermining. Well, young men like to look at pretty
girls."
"Of course, Doctor," said Clive. "I do. I'm looking now at the
prettiest, sweetest--"
"Don't be a young fool," cried the Doctor testily. "I can describe
Janet better than you can. Now, look here, boy; I've got two things to
say to you. First of all, about this `White Virgin'."
"Yours?" said Clive, still glancing at Janet, over whom his brother was
now bending, as the maid who carried the tray made the cups dash as she
opened the door, and then hurried out as if to avoid a scolding.
"No, young idiot; yours--your father's," said the Doctor, rather
sharply. "Hang that organ!"
"Yes, they are a nuisance," said the younger man, as one of the popular
tunes was struck up just inside the square.
"Well, what about the mine, sir?"
"Only this, my lad: I've got a few thousands put aside; you know that."
"Yes, sir; I supposed you had."
"Oh, you knew," said the Doctor suspiciously.
"Yes; I think I heard something of the kind."
"Humph!"
"There, Doctor, don't take up that tone. Give me Janet, and leave your
money to a hospital."
"No; hang me if I do! I haven't patience with them, sir. The way in
which hospitals are imposed upon is disgraceful. People who ought to be
able to pay for medical and surgical advice go and sponge upon hospitals
in a way that--Oh, hang it, that's not what I wanted to say. Look here,
Clive, if this new mine--"
"No, sir: very old mine."
"Well, very old mine--is a good thing, I should like to have a few
thousands in it. Now, then, would it be safe? Stop, confound you! If
you deceive me, you shan't have Janet."
"If ever I'm ill, I shall go to another doctor," said Clive quietly.
"Yes, you'd better, sir! He'd poison you."
"Well, he wouldn't insult me, Doctor."
"Bah! nonsense; I was joking, my dear boy. Come, tell me. Here, feel
the pulse of my purse, and tell me what to do."
"I will," said the younger man. "Wait, sir. I don't know enough about
it yet to give a fair opinion. At present everything looks wonderfully
easy. It's a very ancient mine. It was worked by the Romans, and
whatever was done was in the most primitive way, leaving lodes and veins
untouched, and which are extending possibly to an immense depth, rich,
and probably containing a very large percentage of silver."
"Well, come, that's good enough for anything."
"Yes, but I am not sure yet, Doctor. I'm not going to give you advice
that might result in your losing heavily, and then upbraiding me for
years to come."
"No, dear boy. You would only be losing your own money; for, of course,
it will be Janet's and yours."
"Bother the money!" said the young man shortly. "Look here, Doctor; as
a mining engineer, I should advise every one but those who want to do a
bit of gambling, and are ready to take losses philosophically, to have
nothing to do with mines. If, however, I can help you with this, I will
tell you all I know as fast as I learn it."
"That'll do, boy. Now about the other matter. You know I make use of
my eyes a good deal."
"Yes," said the young man anxiously.
"Then, to put it rather brutally and plainly, boy, I don't like the look
of the old dad."
"Doctor Praed!" cried the young man in a voice full of agony, as he
turned and gazed anxiously into the drawing-room, where Grantham Reed,
one of the best known floaters of mining projects in the City, sat back
in his chair, holding Janet Praed's hand, and patting it gently, as he
evidently listened to something his elder son was relating. "Why, what
nonsense! I never saw him look better in my life."
"Perhaps not--you didn't," said the Doctor drily.
"I beg your pardon. But has he complained?"
"No; he has nothing to complain of, poor fellow; but all the same, we
doctors see things sometimes which tell us sad tales. Look here, Clive,
my boy. I speak to you like a son, because you are going to be my son.
I can't talk to your brother, though he is the elder, and ought to stand
first. I don't like Jessop."
"Jess is a very good fellow when you know him as I do," said Clive
coldly.
"I'm very glad to hear it, boy," said the Doctor. "But look here; your
father's in a very bad way, and he ought to be told."
"But are you sure, sir?" said Clive, in a hoarse whisper.
"Yes, I am sure," said the Doctor. "I have been watching him for the
past six months in doubt. Now I know. Will you tell him, or shall I?"
"Tell him!" faltered Clive.
"Yes; a man in his position must have so much to do about his money
affairs--winding up matters, while his mind is still strong and clear."
"But he is well and happy," said Clive. "How could I go to him and
say--"
"Here, where's that Doctor?" came from within, in a strong voice. "Oh,
there you are! It's going on for ten, and I must have one rubber before
you start."
Five minutes later four people were seated at a card-table, one of whom
was Clive Reed, whose hands were cold and damp, as he felt as if he were
playing for his father's life in some great game of chance, while in the
farther drawing-room Janet Praed was singing a ballad in a low, sweet
voice, and Clive's sharp-looking, keen-eyed brother was turning over the
music leaves and passing compliments, at which his sister-in-law elect
uttered from time to time in the intervals of the song a half-pained,
half-contemptuous laugh.