Young Blood

by E. W. Hornung

  CHAPTER XIII.

  THE DAY OF BATTLE.

  It was the following morning that Harry Ringrose received a firstreturn for the many letters he had written in answer to advertisementsseen in the Public Library. The advertisement had been for an articledclerk. The clerk was to be articled on really "exceptional terms" (dulyspecified), and a "public-school boy" was "preferred." It was, in fact,the likeliest advertisement Harry had seen, and its possibilities werenot altogether dissipated by the communication now received:--

  "DEAR SIR,--We beg to acknowledge your letter of the 19th instant, and to say that this is an increasing business, and that we require further assistance in it. You would have an opportunity of thoroughly learning the whole business under the supervision of Mr. Shuttleworth himself; would accompany him to the various courts, and eventually other arrangements might be made. You will notice that the premium is only fifty guineas, which will be returned in salary--a very unusual thing.

  "Perhaps you will give me a call at your early convenience, of which we shall be glad to have notice, as we must take someone at once.

  "Yours faithfully,

  "WALTER SHUTTLEWORTH & CO."

  Like most of his correspondence, this letter was read by Harry to hismother, who looked up at him as though his fortune were already made.She had been in favour of the Law all along, and she was prepared tobreak into her capital for the fifty guineas' premium and for theeighty pounds for stamps. It would decrease their income by a fewpounds, but if Harry were getting a good salary they would be thegainers by the difference. In any case he must telegraph to thesepeople without a moment's loss of time--he must see Mr. Shuttleworthbefore starting for Guildford that afternoon. His bag should be readyimmediately, and, as he also wanted to see Mr. Lowndes, he could leaveit in Leadenhall Street and pop in for it afterwards on his way toWaterloo.

  Such was his mother's advice, and Harry took it to the letter. The bagwas his father's dressing-bag, which Mrs. Ringrose said would make agood appearance at Mr. Innes's. It was heavy with silver-mountedfittings, but there was just room for Harry's dress suit, which made itheavier still. Consequently the way from Aldgate to Leadenhall Streethad never seemed so long before, and Harry was thankful when he and thebag were at last aloft in Lowndes's office. Here he instantly forgothis wet forehead and his aching arm. He had dropped in upon thequeerest scene.

  Gordon Lowndes was in the inner office. Harry saw him through the opendoor, and his first impression was that Lowndes had been up all night.He was still in evening dress. The very hat and Inverness, in whichHarry had seen the last of him at eleven the night before, completedhis attire at eleven this morning. There was one quaint difference:instead of a white bow he wore a blue scarf tied in an ordinary knot,which stultified the whole costume. Harry looked hard. Lowndes waslooking even harder at him, with a kind of what-do-_you_-want glare.But he was palpably sober; he wore every sign of the man who had sleptheartily and risen in his vigour, and in an instant his features hadrelaxed and his hands lay affectionately on Harry's shoulders.

  "Well, Ringrose, my boy, what brought you along so early? And what haveyou got there?"

  "It's my bag," said Harry. "I'm going down to Guildford for a day ortwo, but I've got to see a man this morning, and I thought I mightleave it here in the meantime. May I?"

  "Surely, Ringrose, surely. Come inside; I've got my daughter here. Mydear, here's Harry Ringrose, and this is his bag. Gad! but it's heavy!"

  Miss Lowndes blushed painfully as she shook hands with Harry. Her otherarm was held behind her back with incriminating care.

  "Now, my dear," said Lowndes, briskly, "since we are bowled out let'sbe bowled out. Ringrose is bound to know the truth sooner or later, sohe may as well know it now." And with a rough laugh he snatched frombehind his daughter's back the shiny old clothes in which he had calledat the flat the previous morning.

  Harry thought that the best thing he could do was to join in the laugh.Next moment his heart smote him, for Miss Lowndes had turned her backand stood looking at the window: not through it: it was opaque withgrime.

  "Fact is, Ringrose." continued Lowndes, "the noble Earl is trying toplay me false. He won't keep it up, mind you; he's in too deep with meto dare; but he's trying it on. Yesterday was the day we were to fixthings up for good and all. I wasn't sure of him, Ringrose; he's shownhimself a slippery old cuss too often. However, I had raised a breathof wind since I saw you last, and I had a fiver left, so I thought we'dmake sure of our little spree. Blue your last fiver--that's my rule.Never count the odds in the day of battle, and blue your last fiver forluck! If you don't blue that fiver you may never have another to blue,and I'm hanged if you deserve one! Well, that was my last fiver weblued last night. Don't look like that, man--I tell you I blued it forluck. The luck hasn't come yet, but you may bet your shirt it's on theway. You'll see the noble Earl trot back to heel when I threaten toexpose him if he doesn't! Why, I've got letters from him that wouldmake him the laughing-stock of the Lords; yet he leaves me one cryingoff in so many words, and has cleared for the Mediterranean in hisyacht. Either he'll come back within a week, Ringrose, and go throughwith the Company, or by God he shall pay through the nose for breakinghis word and wasting my time! But I see you looking at my toilet. It isa bit of an anachronism, I confess."

  "I suppose you have been sitting up all night," said Harry. "I'm notsurprised after what you tell me."

  Lowndes guffawed.

  "You'll never find me doing that!" he cried. "I leave the sitting up tomy creditors! They'll sit up pretty slick before I've done with 'em--sowill the noble Earl. Now let me enlighten you. You remember all thoseclothes I ordered from your trustful tailors, and how I told you neverto neglect a good credit? Well, to give you a practical illustration ofthe merits of my advice, I've been living on those clothes ever since.I have so! Yesterday this time the whole boiling were up the spout. Ijust got out the dress-suit and this Inverness for one night only, andchanged into them up here. Now I've got to put them in pop again, andthat's why you find me with them on. Do you follow me, Ringrose? Thosegood old duds are the only garments I've got in the world--thanks tothe so-called Right Honourable the Earl of Banff."

  Harry could not smile. He was thinking of his tailors, and he shudderedto remember that Lowndes had also borrowed five pounds in hard cashfrom the accommodating firm. Harry had dazzling visions of eventualtrouble and responsibility; then his eyes stole over to the forlornfigure by the window; and it was quivering in a way that cut him to theheart.

  "You may like to blue your last fiver," he turned to Lowndes and cried;"but I wish to heaven you hadn't blued it on us! As for my mother, whenshe hears----"

  "Don't tell her, Mr. Ringrose!" cried a breaking voice. "I shall die ofshame if she ever knows."

  Fanny Lowndes had turned about with her fine eyes drowned in tears, herstrong hands clutched together in an agony of entreaty; and just thenHarry felt that he could forgive her father much, but never for thegrief and shame which he first heaped upon the girl, and then forcedher to display.

  "It's a queer thing, Ringrose," observed Lowndes, "that women never canbe got to take a sensible view of these matters. Your mother--mydaughter--they're every one of them alike."

  He swung on his heel with a shrug, and went into the outer office tomeet his friend Backhouse, who here returned from the usual errand. Atrembling hand fell on Harry's arm.

  "Do not think the worst of him!" whispered Fanny.

  "It is only on your account," was his reply.

  "But he is so good to me!"

  "Yet yesterday he let you think that all was well."

  "He wanted to give me a pleasure while he could."

  Harry looked in the brave wet eyes, and his heart gave a sudden bound.

  "How staunch you are!" he murmured. "He is a lucky man who has you athis back!"

  Then he followed her father into the outer office, saying he must go,but that he would be back in an hour for h
is bag.

  He was back in less.

  His interview with Messrs. Walter Shuttleworth (one gentleman) hadproved but little more satisfactory than any of his other interviews.Still, here was a man who had need of Harry, and that was something. Hewas the first. Harry rather took to him. He was a dashing young fellow,a public-school man; and it was a public-school man such as Harry thathe wanted in his office. At present he appeared to keep but onejuvenile clerk, a size larger than Lowndes's--and he had no partner.This was the opening which was dimly and dexterously held out to Harryas an ultimate probability. And for one dazzling moment Harry felt thathere was his chance in life at last. But when he came to ask questions,the fabric fell to pieces like all the rest, and he knew that he wassitting in Mr. Shuttleworth's office for the last time as well as forthe first. For, though the premium was to be returned "in salary," itwould only be returned during the last twelvemonth of Harry's articles,and for four weary years he must work for nothing. He shook his head;he was bitterly disappointed. He was then told that the proposedarrangement was an offer in a thousand; but that he knew. He took hishat, simply saying he could never afford it. But he was asked to thinkit over and to write again, for he was just the sort of fellow for theplace; and this he promised to do, because it seemed just the sort ofplace for him.

  Mr. Backhouse had stumped into the office as Harry was leaving, and nowHarry met him stumping out. It was this that showed him that he hadbeen less than an hour away. But Lowndes had found time to arrayhimself once more in his "good old duds," to put his dress-suit backinto pawn, and to run through Leadenhall Market with Fanny beforepacking her back to Richmond. And now he was ready to listen to Harry,and very anxious to know how he had got on, and with whom, and where,and what it had all been about.

  Harry told him everything. He was only too glad to do so, since howeverLowndes might misuse his wits and talents in his own affairs, they wereever at the service of his friends, and it seemed but right thatsomeone should have the benefit of those capital parts. The boy hadfelt differently an hour before, but now he needed advice, and here wasLowndes as eager as ever to advise. As usual, he saw to the heart ofthe matter long ere the whole had been laid before him. Ten to one, hesaid, the thing was past praying for now; it depended, however, on howstrong a fancy this lawyer had taken to Ringrose, for he was by nomeans the only public-school boy to be had in London. His best policynow was to write a letter which should heighten that fancy, while itset forth his own circumstances and needs more explicitly than Harryappeared to have done in the interview. That would get at the man'sheart, if he had one, and if not there was no further chance. Such aletter was eventually written at Lowndes's dictation; but Harry neverfelt comfortable about it; and it was only the sore necessity ofemployment that prevailed upon him to let Lowndes post it as they wereboth on their way out to luncheon.

  They lunched at Crosby Hall. Harry took little because he meant to pay.Lowndes, however, would not hear of that, and Harry had to give way onthe point, little as he liked doing so in the circumstances. They thenleft the place arm-in-arm, but in the street Lowndes withdrew his handand held it out.

  "I won't drag you out of your way again," said he, "especially as Ihave a lot of letters to write this afternoon. Good-day to you,Ringrose."

  "You forget my bag," said Harry, smiling.

  "What about it?"

  "I left it in your office."

  "In my office? To be sure, so you did. And now I think of it, I've gotsomething to say to you about your bag."

  Harry wondered what. Evidently it was something he preferred not to sayin the street, for Lowndes strode along with a square jaw and a facefrowning with thought. Backhouse was at the desk. Lowndes put downsixpence and told him to buy himself an irregular. Backhouse limpedout, shutting the door, and they were alone. Harry could not see hisbag.

  "Ringrose," said Lowndes, "I've stood by you and yours in the day ofbattle, and now it's your turn to stand by me and mine. You can'tconceive what a hole we've been in. Not a penny piece in the house downyonder--not a crust--not a bone. I came in this morning to raise a fewshillings by hook or crook, and I brought in my daughter so as to sendher back with enough to buy the bare necessary. I tried Bacchus, but heswears he's getting his drinks on tick. I tried the caretaker, but I'vestuck her so often that she wouldn't be stuck again. I knew it was nouse trying you, Ringrose, yet I knew you would want to help me, so I'lltell you what I've done. I've run in that bag of yours along with mydress-suit."

  "You didn't pawn it?"

  "Certainly I did."

  "You mean to tell me----"

  "Kindly lower your voice. If you want the office-boy to hear whatyou're saying, I don't. I mean to tell you that the situation wasdesperate, and your bag has saved it for the time being. I mean to tellyou that I'd pawn the shirt off my back to get you out of half as bad ahole as I've been in this morning. Come, Ringrose, I thought you weresportsman enough to stand by the man who has stood by you?"

  Harry's indignation knew no bounds, and yet the plausibility of theolder man told upon him even in his heat.

  "I am ready enough to stand by you," he cried, "but this is a differentthing. I freely acknowledge your kindness to my mother and myself, butit doesn't give you the right to put my things in pawn, and you mustget them out again at once."

  "My good fellow," said Lowndes, "I fully intend to do so. I have sentan urgent letter to the noble Earl's solicitors this very morning,telling them of the straits to which the old villain has reduced me,and of the steps I intend to take failing a proper and immediateindemnification. I haven't the least doubt that they will send me acheque on account before the day's out, and then I shall instantly sendround for your bag."

  Harry shook off the hand that had been laid upon his arm, and pulledout his watch.

  "It's twenty to three," said he quietly. "I leave Waterloo by thefive-forty, and my bag leaves with me. Let there be no misunderstandingabout that, Mr. Lowndes. I must have it by five o'clock--not a minutelater."

  "Why must you? Surely they could fix you up for one night? I guaranteeit won't be longer."

  "They dress for dinner down at Guildford," said Harry; "it isn't thefixing up for the night."

  "Well, why not lose your bag on the way? Nothing more natural in ayoung fellow of your age."

  Harry lost his temper instead.

  "Look here, Mr. Lowndes, you have been a good friend to us, as you say.You were a good friend to us last night. You've been a good friend tome this very day. But I simply can't conceive how you could go and do athing like this; and I must have my bag by five o'clock, or we shall befriends no longer."

  There was heat enough and fire enough in the young fellow's tone tobring blood to the cheek of an older man so spoken to. Lowndes lookeddelighted; he even clapped his hands.

  "Well said, Ringrose; said like a sportsman!" he cried. "I like to heara young chap talk out straight from the chest like that. I think allthe more of you, my son, and you shall have your old bag by fiveo'clock if I bust for it. Only look here: don't you be angry with yourgrandfather!"

  Harry burst out laughing in his own despite.

  "It's impossible to be angry with you," he said. "Still, I must----"

  "I see you must. So I'll jump into a hansom and I'll raise the fiver toredeem your bag if I have to drive all over the City of London for it!"

  Harry laughed again, and sat down to wait as Lowndes went clatteringdown the stone stair-case. And as he sat there alone he suddenly grewpale. In his rage with Lowndes he had forgotten Lowndes's daughter, andnow the thought of her turned his heart sick. He found it possible toforgive the father for an indictable offence. It should have beencomparatively easy to forgive the daughter for receiving in her soreneed the virtual proceeds of that crime. Yet the thought that she haddone so was intolerable to him, and his heart began a sudden tattoo asa stiff step was heard ascending the stairs.

  "Mr. Backhouse," said Harry, as that worthy reappeared, "I want a plainanswer to a plain question."<
br />
  "I shall be delighted to give you one," said Mr. Backhouse, "if it isin my power, sir."

  "Do you know where my bag is?"

  Mr. Backhouse said nothing.

  "Then I see you do," cried Harry; "and so do I; and that was not myquestion at all. Did Miss Lowndes know about it?"

  "No, sir."

  "You are sure?"

  "Certain! She never saw him take it out; he took jolly good care sheshouldn't; and he came back with a yarn as long as your leg to accountfor the money."

  Harry's feelings were a revelation to himself; they were the beginningof the greatest revelation of his life. But he cloaked them carefullyand passed the better part of an hour reading the newspaper andexchanging an occasional remark with the lessee of the office. And nolater than a quarter to four, which was long before Harry expected him,Lowndes was back. But he looked baffled, and there was no bag in hishand.

  "Will either of you fellows lend me five bob for the cab?" he panted."I've been all over the City of London."

  Mr. Backhouse shook his head.

  "And I can't," said Harry, "for I have barely enough to take me down toGuildford and back."

  "Then we must keep him waiting too. Here, Jimmy"--to theoffice-child--"you stand by to take a telegram. Now, Ringrose, you'regoing to see me play trumps. Old Bacchus has seen 'em before." Indeed,that specimen's unwholesome face was already wreathed in dissipatedgrins.

  Lowndes seized a telegram form, sat down with his hat on the back ofhis head, and began writing and talking at the same time.

  "Like you, Ringrose, I have a near relative in the Church. An ownbrother, my boy, who cut me off with a text more years ago than I careto count, and hasn't spoken to me since. He's about as High as thatuncle of yours is Low, but luckily there's one point on which even theparsons think alike. They funk a family scandal even more than otherfolks, and they funk it most when they have episcopal aspirations likemy precious brother. What d'ye think of this for him, boys? 'Wiresolicitors pay me fiver by five o'clock or I shall never seesix.--Gordon Lowndes.' What price that for an ace of trumps? Not manyparsons would care to go into the witness-box and read that out attheir own brother's inquest--eh, Ringrose?"

  Harry only stared.

  "Too many fives," objected Mr. Backhouse, with an air of literarycensorship. "Make it a tenner."

  "Most noble Bacchus! For every reason, a tenner it is."

  "And it's too obscure, that about never seeing six. Six what? I knowwhat you mean, but trust a parson to miss the point. Your last was muchbetter--that about the police in the outer office."

  "We can't play the police twice. It's suicide or nothing this time--buthold on!" He seized another form and scribbled furiously. "How aboutthis, then? 'Wire solicitors pay me ten pounds immediately or I am adead man by 5.15.--Gordon.' That'll give you time to do it, Ringrose,with a good hansom."

  "Oh, I daresay there's another train," said Harry. "And candidly, Mr.Lowndes, rather than drive you to this sort of thing, I should preferto say I've lost my luggage and be done with it."

  "Not a bit of it, my good fellow. I've got you into this mess, and I'llget you out again or know the reason why. I assure you, Ringrose, I'mquite enjoying it. Besides, there'll be a fiver over, thanks to oldBacchus here. Jimmy, run like sin with this telegram. Don't say youhaven't a bob, Bacchus? Good man, you shall reap your reward when we'vegot this boy his blessed bag."

  Lowndes waited until half-past four, talking boisterously the wholetime. Harry had never heard him tell more engaging stories, nor comeout with better phrases. At the half-hour, however, he drove off in hislong-suffering hansom to his brother's solicitors. And by aquarter-past five he was back, in the same hansom, with the bag on top.

  Harry met him down below.

  "Here you are, my son!" cried Gordon Lowndes, jumping out with his faceall flushed with triumph and twitching with glee. "That reverendbrother of mine has never been known to fail when approached in adiplomatic manner--no more will your reverend uncle, if you try my tipon him! No, boy, it shall never happen again: jump in, and you've heapsof time. Cabby, take this gentleman on to Waterloo main line, and I'llpay for the lot. Will fifteen bob do you?"

  "Thank'ee, sir, it'll do very well."

  And Harry drove off with his hand aching from a pressure which he had,indeed, returned; almost forgetting the enormity of the other's offencein the zest, humour, and promptitude of the amend; and actuallyfeeling, for the moment, under a fresh obligation to Gordon Lowndes.