No sooner did Sir Brook find himself once more at liberty than he
went to the post-office for his letters, of which a goodly stock had
accumulated during his absence. A telegram, too, was amongst the number,
despatched by Tom in great haste eight days before. It ran thus:--
“Great news! We have struck silver in the new shaft. Do not sell, do not
even treat till you hear from me. I write by this post.
“Lendrick.”
Had Tom but seen the unmoved calm with which Foss-brooke read this
astounding tidings,--had he only seen the easy indifference with which
the old man threw down the slip of paper after once reading it, and
passed on to a letter of Lord Wilmington from Crew Keep,--his patience
would certainly have been sorely tried. Nor was it from any indifference
to good fortune, still as little from any distrust of the tidings. It
was simply because he had never doubted that the day was coming that
was to see him once more rich., It might be a little later or a little
earlier. It might be that wealth should shower itself upon him in
a gradually increasing measure, or come down in a very deluge of
prosperity. These were things he did not, could not know; but of the
fact--the great Fact itself--he had as firm a belief as he had of
his own existence; and had he died before realizing it, he would
have bequeathed his vast fortune, with blanks for the amount, as
conscientiously as though it were bank stock for which he held the
vouchers.
When most men build castles in the air, they know on what foundations
their edifices are based, and through all their imaginative ardor there
pierces the sharp pang of unreality. Not so with Fossbrooke. It was
simply a question of time with him when the costly palace might become
fit for habitation, and this great faith in himself rescued him from
all that vacillation so common to those who keep a debtor and creditor
account between their hopes and fears. Neither was he at all impatient
because Destiny did not bestir herself and work quicker. The world was
always pleasant, always interesting; and when to-morrow or next day
Fortune might call him to a higher station and other modes of life, he
almost felt he should regret the loss of that amusing existence he now
enjoyed, amongst people all new and all strange to him.
At last he came to Tom Lendrick's letter,--four closely written pages,
all glowing with triumph. On the day week after Sir B.'s departure, he
wrote:--
“They had come upon a vein of lead so charged with silver as to seem as
though the whole mass were of the more precious metal. All Cagliari
came down to see a block of ore upwards of two hundred-weight, entirely
crusted with silver, and containing in the mass forty per cent. We had
to get a guard from the Podesta, merely to keep off the curious, for
there was no outrage nor any threat of outrage. Indeed, your kind
treatment of our workpeople now begins to bear its fruit, and there was
nothing but good-will and kind feeling for our lucky fortune. The two
Jews, Heenwitz and Voss, of the Contrada Keale, were amongst the first
visitors, and had actually gone down into the shaft before I knew of it.
They at once offered me a large sum for a share in the mine; and when
I told them it was with you they must treat, they proposed to open a
credit of three hundred thousand francs with their house in my favor,
to go on with the working till I heard from you and learned your
intentions. This offer, too, I have declined, till I get your letter.
“This was on Tuesday, but on Thursday we struck pure silver without
a trace of lead, the only alloy being a thin vein of cobalt, like a
ribbon, running through the ore; and which Chiusani says--for he has
worked in Mexico and the Brazils--is proof of a strong vein. The news
spread like wildfire at Cagliari; and I have had such levees of the
money folk! all offering me millions at any, or indeed at no interest,
and actually entreating me to put my hand in their pockets, while they
look away or close their eyes. As for the presents that pour in, we have
no room for them; and you know how dangerous it would be to refuse these
people. It is only a short step with them from a sworn friendship to
the stiletto. The only disturbing element in all this joy is a sort of
official protest from the Delegate of the province against our working
what the Crown may claim as a royalty; but I am instructed that Sardinia
once acquired all royal rights by a fixed payment, and Lucy thinks she
read somewhere the details of the cession. At any rate, she and Contini,
the lawyer, are hard at work making out the reply; and the English
version, which Lucy does, will be forwarded to our Minister at Turin
to-morrow. You 'd laugh if you saw how she has familiarized herself with
not only all the legal terms, but with all our mining phraseology, and
how acutely she marks the difference between intact royalties and the
claims of the Crown to certain percentages on exempted mines. Contini is
a bachelor, and I am fully persuaded intends to make her an offer of his
legal hand and heart,--that is, if he finds that we are likely to beat
the Crown lawyers. I cannot help thinking he's a lucky fellow that you
are not here, nor like to be, on the day he makes his proposal.
“As much for peace's sake as for convenience, I have accepted twenty
thousand francs on loan. I have taken it from the four principal bankers
in Cagliari, in equal sums from each, to prevent jealousy. I hope
this was not wrong. I send you herewith bills for fifteen thousand,
remembering, if I be right, that you borrowed some hundred pounds on the
security of the mine, which you might like now to pay off.” [After some
business details, given at length, and with a degree of amplification
that somewhat wearied Sir Brook to read, he summed up thus: ] “Write to
me therefore at once, and say what course we ought to take regarding our
rights. Could our home lawyers afford you no information of value? Shall
we oppose or shall we compromise? I suspect they wish the latter.
“Are you satisfied that I accepted this loan? I have my own misgivings,
not about the fact, for we wanted money to go on, but as to your
concurrence.
“And when are you coming back? I cannot say how impatient I am for your
return, all the more that you have only written that hurried note
from Dover since you left us. Lucy is in great spirits, takes immense
interest in all we are doing, and does all the Italian correspondence
for me. She wears a little silver hammer, the miner's hammer, in her
hat; and her popularity with the people is unbounded. You will be
amused, on your return, to find that your sketch on the wall of the
splendid palace that was to crown our successes has acquired two wings
and a great tower; and a third figure, a lady, has been added to the
riding-party that are cantering up the avenue. Lucy says that nothing
but humility (!) could have devised such a house for people so rich as
we are. It certainly was not the sentiment with which hitherto I have
regarded this edifice. I have come to the end of my paper, but I will
not close this till I see if the post should not bring us news of you.
“Your letter has just come. The latter part of it has given us great
uneasiness. It is precisely such a time as a private enemy--if you have
one--would choose to work out a personal grudge. No matter how totally
you feel yourself free from implication in these Irish troubles, do
nothing--positively nothing--without legal advice. It will save you a
world of trouble; not to speak of the comfort you will feel in knowing
that your interests are matter of care and thought to another. Above
all, keep us informed daily by telegraph how and where you are, and what
doing.
“Lucy wants to go off to you to-night, but I have had a slight return
of my fever, a very slight one, and she half fears to leave me. If your
next gives us good news, we shall soon forget this unpleasantness; but,
I repeat, let no day pass without tidings of you.
“The evening report has just come in from the mine,--one hundred and
seventy-eight pounds of pure silver in the last twenty-four hours! I
have taken on forty additional men, and the new smelting-house will be
in full work within a week. If you only were here, I 'd have nothing
more to wish for.
“I suppose Trafford has written to you. In the short note I got from
him yesterday there is nothing but gratitude to you. He says he owes
everything to your friendship. He means to be in England in a few days,
and of course will go over to you; but write, or rather telegraph.
“Yours ever, T. L.
“I wrote to Colonel Cave this morning to tell him his small venture
with us would not turn out so badly. Our first dividend will be at least
cent, per cent., so that he cannot lose by us. It's downright jolly to
be able to send off such a despatch.”
The last letter of the heap was from Lady Trafford, and served in a
measure to explain that paragraph in Tom's epistle which spoke of young
Trafford's gratitude. It appeared that Lady Trafford's youngest son,
on whom Sir Hugh had fixed to make the head of the family, had gone to
winter at Madeira, and while there had fallen in love with and married
a Portuguese girl, the daughter of his landlady. The news of this
_mésalliance_ had nearly killed his father, who was only recovering
from a bad attack of gout when the tidings reached him. By good luck,
however, on the very same day came a letter from Fossbrooke, declaring
that no matter what treatment young Trafford might meet with from his
own family, he, Sir Brook, would stand firmly by him, so long as his
honorable and manly conduct and his fidelity to his word to the girl he
loved entitled him to regard and affection.
“In a worldly point of view,” wrote he, “such friendship as mine is a
poor thing. I am a man of nothing, it is true; but I have lived long
enough to know that there are other successes besides wealth and
station. There are such things as self-respect, contentment, and the
love of friends; and I do think my experiences will help him to secure
some share of these.
“There is, however, one entreaty I would prefer, and if there be in your
memory any kind thought of me, you will not refuse my prayer. Your boy
is eager to see you, and shake your hand. Let him come. If you cannot or
will not approve, do not at least condemn what he is about to do. In
his anxiety to obtain your sanction, he has shown all deference to your
authority. This shows he is worthy of your esteem; and if he were to
palter between the hope of all your fortune and the love of this girl,
he would only deserve your contempt. Be proud of him, then, even if you
disinherit him to-morrow. If these be the sentiments of a man who has
nothing, remember, Trafford, that I was not always a beggar; and if I
thought that being rich would alter these opinions, I can only say I
hope I may die as poor as now I write myself.
“There's a strong prejudice, I know, against being guided by men who
have made such a sorry hand of their own fortunes as I have; but many a
fellow who has been shipwrecked has proved a good sailor; at all events,
he knows what it is to be buffeted by the waves and torn on the rocks.
Now, I have told your son not to be afraid of these, and I think he
trusts me.
“Once more, then, I ask, let me tell Lionel you will receive him; and
believe me faithfully your old friend,
“Bk. Fossbrooke.”
Lady Trafford's note was short:--
“My dear Sir Brook,--I suppose there is nothing for it but what you say,
and Lionel may come here. We have had nothing but disasters with our
sons. I wish I could dare to hope that this was to be the end of
the calamities. Sir Hugh desires much that you could be here when L.
arrives. Could you conveniently arrange this? His brother's shocking
marriage, the terrible disappointment to our hopes, and other worries
have almost proved too much for me.
“Is there any truth in the story that Miss L.'s grandfather was
negotiating for a peerage as the condition of his retirement from the
Bench? If so, and that the object could be compassed, it would go far
towards removing some of our objections to the connection. Sir Hugh's
influence with 'the Party' would unquestionably be of use; and though
a law lord does not mean much, it is something. Inform me fully on this
head. It is very strange that Lionel should never have mentioned the
matter, and, indeed, strongly indicates how little trouble he took, or
cared to take, to obviate our natural objections to the match. I suppose
her father is not a practising physician. At all events, he need not be
styled doctor. Oh dear I when I think of it all, and think what an end
my ambitions have come to, I could cry my eyes out. It often strikes me
that people who make most sacrifices for their children are ever repaid
in this fashion. The Dean says these are mysterious dispensations, and
that we must submit to them. I suppose we must, but it certainly is not
without reluctance.
“I thought of asking you to write to Lionel, but I will do so myself,
painful as it is. I feel I am very forgiving to write you in this
strain, seeing how great was the share you took in involving us all
in this unhappy business. At one moment I positively detested--I don't
suspect yet that I entirely pardon--you, though I may when you come
here, especially if you bring me any good news of this peerage business,
which I look to as our last refuge. Lendrick is a very odd name,--are
there many of them? Of course, it will be well understood that we only
know the immediate relations,--father and brother, I mean. We stand no
cousins, still less uncles or aunts.
“Sir Hugh thinks I ought to write to the old Judge. I opine he would be
flattered by the attention, but I have not yet made up my mind upon it.
Give me some advice on this, and believe me sincerely yours.”
After despatching a telegram to Cagliari, to say he was well and at
large, and would soon be on his way back again, Fossbrooke wrote a few
lines to Lord Wilmington of regret that he could not afford time to
go over and see him, and assuring him that the late incident that had
befallen him was not worth a thought. “He must be a more irritable
fellow than I am,” he wrote, “who would make a personal grievance of a
mere accident, against which, in a time of trouble, it would be hard to
provide. While I say this, I must add that I think the spy system is a
mistake,--that there is an over-eagerness in your officials to procure
committals; and I declare to you I have often had more difficulty to
get out of a crowded evening party than I should have felt in making
my escape from your jail or bridewell, whichever be its name. I
don't suspect your law-officers are marvels of wisdom, and your Chief
Secretary is an ass.”
To Lady Trafford he wrote a very brief reply. He scarcely thought his
engagements would enable him to make a visit to Holt. “I will, however,
come if I can, chiefly to obtain your full and free pardon, though
for what, beyond rendering you an invaluable service, I am puzzled
to understand; and I repeat, if your son obtain this young lady in
marriage, he will be, after Sir Hugh, the luckiest man of his name and
family.
“As to the peerage, I can tell you nothing. I believe there is rather a
prejudice against sending Irishmen up to the Lords; and it is scarcely
ever done with lawyers. In regard to writing to Baron Lendrick, I hardly
know what to say. He is a man of great ability, but of even greater
vanity, and it should be a cleverly worded epistle that would not ruffle
some one of his thousand sensibilities. If you feel, however, adroit
enough to open the negotiation, do so by 'all means;' but don't make
me responsible for what may come of it if the rejoinder be not to your
taste. For myself, I 'd rather poke up a grizzly bear with my umbrella
than I 'd provoke such a man to an exchange of letters.”
To get back to Cagliari as soon as possible, and relieve Tom of
that responsibility which seemed to weigh so heavily upon him, was
Fossbrooke's first resolve. He must see Sewell at once, and finish the
business; and however unpleasant the step might be, he must seek him at
the Priory, if he could not meet him elsewhere. He wished also to see
Beattie,--he wanted to repay the loan he had made him. The doctor, too,
could tell him how he could obtain an interview with Sewell without any
intrusion upon the Chief Baron.
It was evening before Fossbrooke could make his visit to Beattie, and
the doctor had just sat down to dinner with a gentleman who had arrived
by the mail-packet from England, giving orders that he was not to be
disturbed on any score.
“Will you merely take in my name,” said Sir Brook, “and beg, with my
respects, to learn at what hour to-morrow Dr. Beattie would accord me
a few minutes.” The butler's hesitation was mildly overcome by the
persuasive touch of a sovereign, and he retired with the message.
Before a minute elapsed, Dr. Beattie came out, napkin in hand, and his
face beaming with delight. “If there was a man in Europe I was wishing
for this moment, it was yourself, Sir Brook,” said he. “Do you know who
is dining with me? Come in and see.--No, no, I 'll not be denied.”
A sudden terror crossed Fossbrooke's mind that his guest might be
Colonel Sewell, and he hung back, muttering some words of apology.
“I tell you,” repeated the doctor, “I'll take no refusal. It's the
rarest piece of luck ever befell, to have chanced upon you. Poor
Lendrick is dying for some news of his son and daughter.”
“Lendrick! Dr. Lendrick?”
“To be sure,--who else? When your knock came to the door, I was telling
him that I heard you were in Dublin, and only doubted it because you had
never called on me; but come along, we can say all these things over our
soup. Look whom I have brought you, Tom,” cried Beattie, as he led Sir
Brook into the room,--“here's Sir Brook Fossbrooke come to join us.” And
the two men grasped hands in heartiest embrace, while Fossbrooke, not
waiting for a word of question, said, “Both well and hearty. I had a
telegram from Tom this morning.”
“How much I owe you!--how much, how much!” was all that Lendrick could
say, and his eyes swam as he said it.
“It is I am the debtor, and well I know what it is worth to be so! Their
loving kindness and affection have rescued me from the one terror of my
life,--the fear of becoming a discontented, incredulous old bachelor.
Heaven bless them for it; their goodness has kept me out of that
danger.”
“And how are they looking? Is Lucy--” He stopped and looked half
ashamed.
“More beautiful than ever,” broke in Fossbrooke. “I think she is taller
than when you last saw her, and perhaps a shade more thoughtful looking;
and Tom is a splendid fellow. I scarcely know what career he could not
follow, nor where he would not seem too good for whatever he was doing.”
“Ah, if I could but tell you how happy you have made me!” muttered
Lendrick. “I ought never to have left them,--never broken up my home. I
did it unwillingly, it is true; but I ought never to have done it.”
“Who knows if it may not turn out for the best, after all? You need
never be separated henceforth. Tom's last letter to me--I 'll bring it
over to you to-morrow--tells me what I well knew must befall us sooner
or later,--that we are rolling in wealth, have silver enough to pave the
streets, and more money than we shall be able to spend--though I once
had rather a knack that way.”
“That's glorious news!” said Beattie. “It's _our_ mine, I suppose?”
added he, laughing.
“To be sure it is; and I have come prepared to buy you out, doctor, or
pay you your first dividend, cent. per cent., whichever you prefer.”
“Let us hear about this mine,” said Beattie.
“I 'd rather talk to you about the miners, Tom and Lucy,” said
Fossbrooke.
“Yes, yes, tell us of _them_. Do they ever talk of the Nest? Do they
ever think of the happy days we passed there?” cried Lendrick.
“Ay, and more. We have had a project this many a day--we can realize it
now--to buy it out and out. And I 'm to build a cabin for myself by the
river-side, where the swan's hut stood, and I 'm to be asked to dinner
every Sunday.”
“By Jove, I think I'll run down by the rail for one of those dinners,”
said Beattie; “but I certainly hope the company will have better
appetites than my guests of to-day.”
“I am too happy to feel hungry,” said Lendrick. “If I only knew that my
poor dear father could live to see us all united,--all together again, I
'd ask for no more in life.”
“And so he may, Tom; he was better this afternoon, and though weak and
low, perfectly collected and sensible. Mrs. Sewell has been his nurse
to-day, and she seems to manage him cleverly.”
“I saw her at the Cape. She was nicely mannered, and, if I remember
aright, handsome,” said Lendrick, in his half-abstracted way.
“She was beautiful--perfectly beautiful--as a girl: except your own
Lucy, I never saw any one so lovely,” said Fossbrooke, whose voice shook
with emotion as he spoke.
“I wish she had better luck in a husband,” said Beattie. “For all
his graceful address and insinuating ways, I 'm full sure he's a bad
fellow.”
Fossbrooke checked himself with a great effort, and merely nodded an
assent to the other's words.
“How came it, Sir Brook,” asked Beattie, suddenly, “that you should have
been in Dublin so long without once coming to see me?”
“Are you very discreet?--may I be sure that neither of you will ever
accidentally let drop a word of what I shall tell you?”
“You may rely upon my secrecy, and upon Tom Lendrick's ignorance, for
there he is now in one of his reveries, thinking of his children in all
probability; and I 'll guarantee you to any amount, that he 'll not hear
one word you say for the next half-hour.”
“The fact is, they took me up for a rebel,--some one with more zeal than
discrimination fancied I looked like a 'Celt,' as these fellows call
themselves; and my mode of life, and my packet of lead ore, and some
other things of little value, completed the case against me, and they
sent me to jail.”
“To jail!”
“Yes; to a place called Richmond Bridewell, where I passed some seven
or eight days, by no means unpleasantly. It was very quiet, very secure
against intrusion. I had a capital room, and very fair food. Indeed I
'm not sure that I did not leave it with a certain regret; but as I had
written to my old friend Lord Wilmington, to apprise him of the mistake,
and to warn him against the consequences such a blunder might occasion
if it befell one less well disposed towards him than myself, I had
nothing for it but to take a friendly farewell of my jailer and go.”
“I declare few men would have treated the incident so temperately.”
“Wilmington's father was my fag at Eton, let me see--no, I 'll not
see--how long ago; and Wilmington himself used to come and spend his
summer vacations with me when I had that Wiltshire place; and I was very
fond of the boy, and as he liked my partridge-shooting, we grew to be
fast friends; but why are we talking of these old histories when it is
the present that should engage us? I would only caution you once again
against letting the story get abroad: there are fellows would like to
make a House of Commons row out of it, and I 'd not stand it. Is the
doctor sleeping?” added he, in a whisper, as Lendrick sat with closed
eyes and clasped hands, mute and motionless.
“No,” said Beattie; “it is his way when he is very happy. He is going
over to himself all you have been telling him of his children, and he
neither sees nor hears aught around him.”
“I was going to tell him another piece of news that would probably
please him,” said Sir Brook, in the same low tone. “I have nearly
completed arrangements for the purchase of the Nest; by this day week I
hope it will be Lucy's.”
“Oh! do tell him that. I know of nothing that would delight him as much.
Lendrick,” said he, touching his arm, “here is something you would like
to hear.”
“No, no!” muttered he, softly. “Life is too short for these things. No
more separations,--no more; we must live together, come what may;” and
he stretched out his hands on either side of him, as though to grasp his
children.
“It is a pity to awaken him from such a dream,” said Fossbrooke,
cautiously; “let us steal over to the window and not disturb him.”
They crept cautiously away to a window-bench, and talked till late into
the night.