“Come to this corner, Trixy, and let us have a quiet talk before the men
arrive from the dining-room. I hope your husband is duly grateful to me
for allowing him off this social ordeal. Except perhaps John, I don't
think there is a person here fit to discuss things with him.”
“Oh, Mr. Marsden does not care one straw whether they know his subjects
or not so long as people will listen to him, and I'm sure he was quite
eager to come, but I wanted Godfrey to have a little pleasure.
“I'm so sorry for poor Godfrey,” and Mrs. Marsden settled herself down
to confidences. “You know he lost all his money two years ago through
no fault of his own. It was simply the stupidity of his partner, who was
quite a common man, and could not carry out Godfrey's plans. My husband
might have helped the firm through their difficulty but he was quite
obstinate, and very unkind also. He spoke as if Godfrey had been
careless and lazy, when the poor fellow really injured his health and
had to go to Brighton for two months to recruit.”
“Yes, I remember,” put in Mrs. Leslie; “we happened to be at the
Metropole one week end, and Godfrey looked utterly jaded.”
“You have no idea how much he suffered, Florrie, and how beautifully he
bore the trial. Why, had it not been for me, he would not have had money
to pay his hotel bill, and that was a dreadful change for a man like
him. He has always been very proud, and much petted by people. The poor
fellow has never been able to find a suitable post since, although he
spends days in the city among his old friends, and I can see how it is
telling on him. And--Florrie, I wouldn't mention it to any one except
an old friend--Mr. Marsden has not made our house pleasant to poor
Godfrey.”
“You don't mean that he... reflects on his misfortunes.”
“Doesn't he? It's simply disgusting what he will say at times. Only
yesterday morning--this is absolutely between you and me, one must have
some confidant--Godfrey made some remark in fun about the cut of Tom's
coat; he will not go, you know, do what I like, to a proper tailor.”
“Godfrey is certainly much better dressed,” said Mrs. Leslie, “than
either of our husbands.”
“Perhaps it was that made Tom angry, but at any rate he said quite
shortly, 'I can't afford to dress better,' and of course Godfrey knew
what he meant. It was cruel in the circumstances, for many men spend far
more on their clothes than Godfrey. He simply gives his mind to the
matter and takes care of his things; he will spend any time selecting a
colour or getting a coat fitted.”
“Is your brother quite... dependent on... his friends, Trixy?”
“Yes, in the meantime, and that is the reason why we ought to be the
more considerate. I wished to settle half my income on him, but it is
only a third of what it used to be--something to do with investments has
reduced it--and Mr. Marsden would not hear of such a thing; he allows
Godfrey one hundred a year, but that hardly keeps him in clothes and
pocket money.”
“Still, don't you think it's all Godfrey could expect?” and Mrs. Leslie
was inclined for once to defend this abused man. “Few husbands would do
as much for a brother-in-law.”
“Oh, of course he does it for my sake, and he means to be kind. But,
Florrie, Mr. Marsden is so careful and saving, always speaking as if we
were poor and had to lay up for the future, while I know he has a large
income and a sure business.
“Why, he would not leave that horrid street in Highbury, say what I
could; and I owe it to Godfrey that we have come to Putney. When Tom
went out to Alexandria, my brother simply took our present house and
had it furnished in Mr. Marsden's name, and so when he came home from
Alexandria we were established in The Cottage.”
“John is the best of husbands, but I dare not have changed our house in
his absence,” and Mrs. Leslie began to get new views on the situation.
“Was not Mr. Marsden rather startled?”
“He was inclined to be angry with Godfrey, but I sent the boy off to
Scarborough for a month; and he is never hasty to me, only tiresome--you
can't imagine how tiresome.”
“Is it the statistics?”
“Worse than that. He has begun the Reformation now, and insists on
reading from some stuffy old book every evening, _Dumas' History_, I
think, till I wish there never had been such a thing, and we were all
Roman Catholics.”
“Very likely he would have read about the Popes, then, or the saints.
My dear girl, you don't wish to have your mind improved. You ought to be
proud of your husband; most men sleep after dinner with an evening paper
in their hands, and are quite cross if they're wakened. But there they
come, and we must have Godfrey's last song.”