"SIR WILLIAM----" "NO; MIDHARST."
"The day after to-morrow I must leave, Maud. I shall have to spend a day
or two in London, and then I sail."
He was looking down very gravely at her.
She looked up gravely at him. "I wish you had not to go away."
"So do I, but there is no help for it. I would much rather stay in
England and look after affairs here. You never can trust anyone to carry
out your plans. You must see the men at work, or they must know you may
at any moment see them. I have planned my own designs and decorations,
and tradesmen consider it a point of honour to rob an amateur. They will
not do what an amateur tells them, and they are sure to cheat him most
liberally. The father of a friend of mine determined upon doing up his
house himself. He was not a good man of business like me, but, like me,
he knew what he wanted done. He made a rough estimate of what the job
would cost him, and when it was finished he found the bills came to
about three times his estimate. He got an accountant to look through the
bills. The first item the accountant called the attention of my friend's
father to was six white marble chimney-pieces for bedrooms at two
hundred pounds each. He had told the builder to get three
chimney-pieces; there were places in the house for only three of the
sort. On investigation the builder stated six had been got, three
having been broken after arrival. 'But,' said the accountant, 'you have
not allowed anything for the old ones. What did they fetch?' 'Oh,' said
the builder, 'they fell to pieces, and I broke them up.' Subsequently,
when going over the newly-built house of a friend, he found two
chimney-pieces, one like his old and one like his new ones. 'Where did
you get these?' 'Bought them for a dead bargain. Some man, who heard I
was building, sold me the old one for thirty-five, and the new one for
seventy.' The visitor asked for a description of the seller. It exactly
corresponded with the builder. Subsequently it came out that the new
chimney-pieces had been kept buried in sand until they could be removed
in a cart under a load of straw, and that the old ones had gone out
covered with a layer of rubbish!"
"Do you not think, William, that if Mr. Grey would consent to look after
the men, such things might be prevented?"
"Yes; I have thought of asking Mr. Grey. But he is such a busy man. He
will have, I daresay, a great deal to do on account of your father's
will. It would be too much to expect him to spare time for coming down
here and looking after a lot of lazy workmen. In fact, it would be out
of the question. As to a clerk of works, or anything of that kind, I
would not dream of such a thing. They wink at scamped work for a
consideration, and order things they do not want. Dear Maud, I weary you
with lime-and-mortar matter."
"No, no, no; I like to hear you talk in this way. It is as if--as
if----" She paused, unable for the moment to mould her thoughts into
words.
"As if what, Maud?"
"As if you liked to talk to me in this way."
Her eyes were fixed on his, his on hers. For a moment neither spoke.
Then he said:
"Yes, I do like to talk to you in this familiar business-way. You know
we are alone now in the world; and if I don't talk freely to you, to
whom else on earth am I?"
"I had a note from Mr. Grey this morning, saying he has returned, and
will be here to-day. Had you not better speak to him?"
"I will. That is settled. If he hesitates, I shall not allow him to do
it; but I shall try what he will say. Even if he refuses he may be able
to suggest some trustworthy person he knows. You see, I have been so
short a time in England, and am such an utter stranger here, I know no
one."
When Grey came he found the cousins together. Some routine matters
having been disposed of, Sir William asked the banker if he would take a
stroll with him across the Island, as he wished to speak to him about
business.
The banker would be most happy.
Arm-in-arm the two left the Castle-yard, gained the grass, and walked
towards the Ferry.
"Mr. Grey," began the young man, "I leave this neighbourhood the day
after to-morrow."
"I am sincerely sorry to hear you say so."
"Thank you. Now I am going to try and induce you to let me get even
further into your debt----"
"Sir William, it is quite unnecessary for you to say a word with such a
view. I told you to draw for any moderate sum you might require, and
your cheque would be honoured----"
"I am much obliged to you; but it is not money this time."
Grey bowed. He wondered: "Has he already proposed, and is he going to
talk to me about the will? This looks bad."
"You know what rogues there are in the world?"
"I should think I do. I have excellent cause to know of some kinds of
rogues," Grey said. He thought: "This is becoming exciting--diverting."
The banker was in the most excellent spirits this morning. He felt like
an unruly schoolboy when the holidays come. He was beyond the arm of
physical punishment still, and the phase of mental torture in which he
had existed for some time had yielded to his present jovial bravado. His
old sense of the ridiculous had returned upon him and expelled
self-consideration. While he felt profoundly the necessity for
precautions, he was careless as to the means he used, and inclined to
estimate nothing as more than a grim joke.
"You see," continued Sir William, "now that I am leaving, I am going to
throw myself upon your indulgence and good-nature. You and I have a lot
of waiting upon legal forms before we can act officially or
authoritatively in the new positions we find ourselves."
"A lot of waiting upon legal forms," assented Grey; and added mentally,
"Thank God!"
"But I suppose no one is going to say I am not the right man."
"You may build on that. I daresay"--with a bland humorous smile--"I
daresay few have greater interest in disputing your identity (there can
be no dispute of your descent) than the representatives of Miss
Midharst; and I"--with a bow and deprecating wave of the long arms and
white hands--"have no such intention."
"That is all right. Well, now I want to spend the most of that money you
were so kind as to advance me on this place"--with a comprehensive sweep
of the hand taking in the Castle and all the Island.
"Quite so. I understood that from you before. I do not think you could
do better with the money, Sir William."
"I am glad you approve. I not only want your approval, but your
co-operation also. Will you help me?"
"To the utmost of my ability."
"I do not intend beginning for a month or so; but as I shall then be
away, I shall be unable to ensure the carrying out of my plans unless I
can count on the friendly supervision, however slight, of someone who
would take an interest in the work of renovation and improvement----"
"And," interrupted the banker with a cordial smile, "you wish to know if
I would undertake to see your wishes carried out. Nothing in the world
could give me greater pleasure. I do not think you could suggest
anything I would more gladly undertake."
"Allow me to explain a little."
"I assure you no explanation is necessary."
"Excuse me, I think it is. It would be the height of impertinence in me
to ask you to do anything of the kind, but----"
"But that you know I shall always be only too glad to be of any service
to Sir William Midharst."
"You really overwhelm me with your goodness. I feel very much at taking
such favours from one who has known me so short a time."
"When people are well met, good-feeling ripens very quickly. Do you,
Sir William, believe in love at first sight?"
"Yes," said the baronet, looking up with an expression of surprise and
curiosity. "Why?" he asked, in a tone of perplexity.
"Because," answered the banker, "I believe in friendship at first sight;
and, if you will allow me to say so, I took a most friendly interest in
you from the first moment I saw you and knew who you were."
"Indeed!" murmured the young man, in a tone of reverie. Then, with a
faint smile, he added: "I certainly thought we waited a little time to
understand one another."
"I have no doubt it appeared so to you; but I was impressed at the very
beginning. You must remember the circumstances under which we met. I
had no idea who you were, and I was then under the impression the full
responsibility of Miss Midharst's guardianship lay on me. In her
interest I was bound to be cautious. Believe me, my theory of friendship
at first sight is quite as true as that of love at first sight."
"It may be--you may be right. I have never considered the question
before. I was about to explain a few moments ago that I could not think
of asking you to take any trouble in this matter, only I know you will
often be here to see Miss Midharst on business, or through kindness; and
I thought perhaps you would not consider it too much trouble to watch
how these men get on now and then, once a fortnight or so."
"Rely upon it I shall look after them much oftener than that. You may
put your mind perfectly at rest, Sir William. I have some knowledge of
things of this kind; a banker meets all sorts of men as customers, and
picks up all sorts of odds and ends of knowledge, so that there is
scarcely a trade or profession I am not familiar with the roguish side
of."
"I must extract one promise from you."
"What is it?"
"That you will not put yourself to any inconvenience in this matter."
"I promise you most unhesitatingly. A little change will do me good, and
it will be a most salutary change to come down here now and then and see
how things are going on."
"But you really need never come unless you want to see Miss Midharst."
"Quite so."
They separated soon afterwards.
"What luck I have had!" thought Grey, as he drove towards home. "To
think of how that young man played into my hands is most amusing, quite
comic. He seemed to divine that I wanted an excuse for being as much at
the Castle as possible. What more ample pleas for going than that I have
to confer with Miss Midharst over matters connected with her father's
will, and have undertaken to overlook the works about to be started by
Sir William at the Island? Stop! That thought is worth consideration."
For a few minutes he lay back in the fly perfectly still, profoundly
absorbed in thought.
"It's worth doing, and I'll do it," was the concluding link in his
thoughts.
"Driver!"
"Yes, sir."
"Back to the Ferry again. I have forgotten something."
"All right, sir."
When he arrived at the Castle he asked for the baronet, and found him at
once.
"By the way, Sir William, a matter of no absolute importance, but still
of some sentimental value to me, escaped my memory when I was a while
ago saying good-bye to you, as I thought, for some months."
"And what was that?"
"You know there is no hurry about Sir Alexander's will?"
"How do you mean?"
"Well, nothing need be done about it for months."
"What then?"
"You will be back in a few months, less than six?"
"Let us hope so."
"Well, I shall do nothing about the will until you come back. We can
then put our heads together and see what is best for Miss Midharst's
interest."
"I do not fully understand you, Mr. Grey."
"What I intend doing is this," Grey explained: "I am not bound to do
anything immediately about the will. I know the will is all right. I
will pay the small legacies myself and get rid of them, and when you
come back you and I shall go over the whole matter. I shall prove the
will and administer to the estate, and then you and I will consult as to
what had best be done for Miss Midharst's interests with the money."
"But what is your object in delay?"
"Just a whim."
"I hope, Mr. Grey," said the young man, with warm indignation, "you have
not for a moment fancied I do not think you fully capable in every way
of acting in this matter?"
"The shadow of such a suspicion never crossed my mind, I assure you, Sir
William. But cannot you understand that the position I occupy of common
friend to the two who now compose the house of Midharst would make me
desirous of having the advice of the head of the house on important
matters, such as the disposal of Sir Alexander's fortune?"
The young man looked fixedly, searchingly, at the banker's face for a
moment before he answered. When he spoke, he replied with great
deliberateness:
"There may be a good deal in what you say."
"You give me your confidence. You leave me to act as your deputy while
you are away. You, in a manner, place yourself in my hands; and you are
content with me as the guardian of your cousin's fortune. You rely upon
my integrity, upon my honour. I feel the burden I lie under. I should
feel less weighed down if you will accept my proposal as a small sign of
the esteem I hold you in, and of my simple faith with regard to your
cousin's affairs."
The banker held out his hand. He had made his speech in his old and best
manner.
The young man caught his hand swiftly, eagerly.
"Grey, I did not hope to find a man like you in you when we met first. I
know what stuff you are made of now. We shall be close friends while we
live."
"Sir William----"
"No; Midharst."
"Midharst, we shall."
They parted.
When Grey found himself alone once more, he whispered to the leafless
trees:
"Now, Mr. Prompter, ring down the drop. That's a very pretty end of the
fourth act."