“Now I’ve told you a bit of my mind, Cheesy, my boy,” continued Bellfield, “and you’ll save yourself a deal of trouble and annoyance if you’ll believe what I say. She doesn’t mean to marry you. It’s most probable that she’ll marry me; but, at any rate, she won’t marry you.”
“Do you mean to pay me my money, sir?” said Cheesacre, at last, finding his readiest means of attack in that quarter.
“Yes, I do.”
“But when?”
“When I’ve married Mrs Greenow, — and, therefore, I expect your assistance in that little scheme. Let us drink her health. We shall always be delighted to see you at our house, Cheesy, my boy, and you shall be allowed to hack the hams just as much as you please.”
“You shall be made to pay for this,” said Cheesacre, gasping with anger; — gasping almost more with dismay than he did with anger.
“All right, old fellow; I’ll pay for it, — with the widow’s money. Come; our half-hour is nearly over; shall we go up-stairs?”
“I’ll expose you.”
“Don’t now; — don’t be ill-natured.”
“Will you tell me where you mean to sleep to-night, Captain Bellfield?”
“If I sleep at Oileymead it will only be on condition that I have one of the mahogany-furnitured bedrooms.”
“You’ll never put your foot in that house again. You’re a rascal, sir.”
“Come, come, Cheesy, it won’t do for us to quarrel in a lady’s house. It wouldn’t be the thing at all. You’re not drinking your wine. You might as well take another glass, and then we’ll go up-stairs.”
“You’ve left your traps at Oileymead, and not one of them you shall have till you’ve paid me every shilling you owe me. I don’t believe you’ve a shirt in the world beyond what you’ve got there.”
“It’s lucky I brought one in to change; wasn’t it, Cheesy? I shouldn’t have thought of it only for the hint you gave me. I might as well ring the bell for Jeannette to put away the wine, if you won’t take any more.” Then he rang the bell, and when Jeannette came he skipped lightly up-stairs into the drawing-room.
“Was he here before to-day?” said Cheesacre, nodding his head at the doorway through which Bellfield had passed.
“Who? The Captain? Oh dear no. The Captain don’t come here much now; — not to say often, by no means.”
“He’s a confounded rascal.”
“Oh, Mr Cheesacre!” said Jeannette.
“He is; — and I ain’t sure that there ain’t others nearly as bad as he is.”
“If you mean me, Mr Cheesacre, I do declare you’re a wronging me; I do indeed.”
“What’s the meaning of his going on in this way?”
“I don’t know nothing of his ways, Mr Cheesacre; but I’ve been as true to you, sir; — so I have; — as true as true.” And Jeannette put her handkerchief up to her eyes.
He moved to the door, and then a thought occurred to him. He put his hand to his trousers pocket, and turning back towards the girl, gave her half-a-crown. She curtsied as she took it, and then repeated her last words. “Yes, Mr Cheesacre, — as true as true.” Mr Cheesacre said nothing further, but followed his enemy up to the drawing-room. “What game is up now, I wonder,” said Jeannette to herself, when she was left alone. “They two’ll be cutting each other’s throatses before they’ve done, and then my missus will take the surwiver.” But she made up her mind that Cheesacre should be the one to have his throat cut fatally, and that Bellfield should be the survivor.
Cheesacre, when he reached the drawing-room, found Bellfield sitting on the same sofa with Mrs Greenow looking at a book of photographs which they both of them were handling together. The outside rim of her widow’s frill on one occasion touched the Captain’s whisker, and as it did so the Captain looked up with a gratified expression of triumph. If any gentleman has ever seen the same thing under similar circumstances, he will understand that Cheesacre must have been annoyed.
“Yes,” said Mrs Greenow, waving her handkerchief, of which little but a two-inch-deep border seemed to be visible. Bellfield knew at once that it was not the same handkerchief which she had waved before they went down to dinner. “Yes, — there he is. It’s so like him.” And then she apostrophized the carte de visite of the departed one. “Dear Greenow; dear husband! When my spirit is false to thee, let thine forget to visit me softly in my dreams. Thou wast unmatched among husbands. Whose tender kindness was ever equal to thine? whose sweet temper was ever so constant? whose manly care so all-sufficient?” While the words fell from her lips her little finger was touching Bellfield’s little finger, as they held the book between them. Charlie Fairstairs and Mr Cheesacre were watching her narrowly, and she knew that they were watching her. She was certainly a woman of great genius and of great courage.
Bellfield, moved by the eloquence of her words, looked with some interest at the photograph. There was represented there before him, a small, grey-looking, insignificant old man, with pig’s eyes and a toothless mouth, — one who should never have been compelled to submit himself to the cruelty of the sun’s portraiture! Another widow, even if she had kept in her book the photograph of such a husband, would have scrambled it over silently, — would have been ashamed to show it. “Have you ever seen it, Mr Cheesacre?” asked Mrs Greenow. “It’s so like him.”
“I saw it at Yarmouth,” said Cheesacre, very sulkily.
“That you did not,” said the lady with some dignity, and not a little of rebuke in her tone; “simply because it never was at Yarmouth. A larger one you may have seen, which I always keep, and always shall keep, close by my bedside.”
“Not if I know it,” said Captain Bellfield to himself. Then the widow punished Mr Cheesacre for his sullenness by whispering a few words to the Captain; and Cheesacre in his wrath turned to Charlie Fairstairs. Then it was that he spake out his mind about the Captain’s rank, and was snubbed by Charlie, — as was told a page or two back.
After that, coffee was brought to them, and here again Cheesacre in his ill-humour allowed the Captain to out-manœuvre him. It was the Captain who put the sugar into the cups and handed them round. He even handed a cup to his enemy. “None for me, Captain Bellfield; many thanks for your politeness all the same,” said Mr Cheesacre; and Mrs Greenow knew from the tone of his voice that there had been a quarrel.
Cheesacre sitting then in his gloom, had resolved upon one thing, — or, I may perhaps say, upon two things. He had resolved that he would not leave the room that evening till Bellfield had left it; and that he would get a final answer from the widow, if not that night, — for he thought it very possible that they might both be sent away together, — then early after breakfast on the following morning. For the present, he had given up any idea of turning his time to good account. He was not perhaps a coward, but he had not that special courage which enables a man to fight well under adverse circumstances. He had been cowed by the unexpected impertinence of his rival, — by the insolence of a man to whom he thought that he had obtained the power of being always himself as insolent as he pleased. He could not recover his ground quickly, or carry himself before his lady’s eye as though he was unconscious of the wound he had received. So he sat silent, while Bellfield was discoursing fluently. He sat in silence, comforting himself with reflections on his own wealth, and on the poverty of the other, and promising himself a rich harvest of revenge when the moment should come in which he might tell Mrs Greenow how absolutely that man was a beggar, a swindler, and a rascal.
And he was astonished when an opportunity for doing so came very quickly. Before the neighbouring clock had done striking seven, Bellfield rose from his chair to go. He first of all spoke a word of farewell to Miss Fairstairs; then he turned to his late host; “Good night, Cheesacre,” he said, in the easiest tone in the world; after that he pressed the widow’s hand and whispered his adieu.
“I thought you were staying at Oileymead?” said Mrs Greenow.
“I came from there this morning,” sai
d the Captain.
“But he isn’t going back there, I can tell you,” said Mr Cheesacre.
“Oh, indeed,” said Mrs Greenow; “I hope there is nothing wrong.”
“All as right as a trivet,” said the Captain; and then he was off.
“I promised mamma that I would be home by seven,” said Charlie Fairstairs, rising from her chair. It cannot be supposed that she had any wish to oblige Mr Cheesacre, and therefore this movement on her part must be regarded simply as done in kindness to Mrs Greenow. She might be mistaken in supposing that Mrs Greenow would desire to be left alone with Mr Cheesacre; but it was clear to her that in this way she could give no offence, whereas it was quite possible that she might offend by remaining. A little after seven Mr Cheesacre found himself alone with the lady.
“I’m sorry to find,” said she, gravely, “that you two have quarrelled.”
“Mrs Greenow,” said he, jumping up, and becoming on a sudden full of life, “that man is a downright swindler.”
“Oh, Mr Cheesacre.”
“He is. He’ll tell you that he was at Inkerman, but I believe he was in prison all the time.” The Captain had been arrested, I think twice, and thus Mr Cheesacre justified to himself this assertion. “I doubt whether he ever saw a shot fired,” he continued.
“He’s none the worse for that.”
“But he tells such lies; and then he has not a penny in the world. How much do you suppose he owes me, now?”
“However much it is, I’m sure you are too much of a gentleman to say.”
“Well; — yes, I am,” said he, trying to recover himself. “But when I asked him how he intended to pay me, what do you think he said? He said he’d pay me when he got your money.”
“My money! He couldn’t have said that!”
“But he did, Mrs Greenow; I give you my word and honour. ‘I’ll pay you when I get the widow’s money,’ he said.”
“You gentlemen must have a nice way of talking about me when I am absent.”
“I never said a disrespectful word about you in my life, Mrs Greenow, — or thought one. He does; — he says horrible things.”
“What horrible things, Mr Cheesacre?”
“Oh, I can’t tell you; — but he does. What can you expect from such a man as that, who, to my knowledge, won’t have a change of clothes to-morrow, except what he brought in on his back this morning. Where he’s to get a bed to-night, I don’t know, for I doubt whether he’s got half-a-crown in the world.”
“Poor Bellfield!”
“Yes; he is poor.”
“But how gracefully he carries his poverty.”
“I should call it very disgraceful, Mrs Greenow.” To this she made no reply, and then he thought that he might begin his work. “Mrs Greenow, — may I say Arabella?”
“Mr Cheesacre!”
“But mayn’t I? Come, Mrs Greenow. You know well enough by this time what it is I mean. What’s the use of shilly-shallying?”
“Shilly-shallying, Mr Cheesacre! I never heard such language. If I bid you good night, now, and tell you that it is time for you to go home, shall you call that shilly-shallying?”
He had made a mistake in his word and repented it. “I beg your pardon, Mrs Greenow; I do indeed. I didn’t mean anything offensive.”
“Shilly-shallying, indeed! There’s very little shall in it, I can assure you.”
The poor man was dreadfully crestfallen, so much so that the widow’s heart relented, and she pardoned him. It was not in her nature to quarrel with people; — at any rate, not with her lovers. “I beg your pardon, Mrs Greenow,” said the culprit, humbly. “It is granted,” said the widow; “but never tell a lady again that she is shilly-shallying. And look here, Mr Cheesacre, if it should ever come to pass that you are making love to a lady in earnest — “
“I couldn’t be more in earnest,” said he.
“That you are making love to a lady in earnest, talk to her a little more about your passion and a little less about your purse. Now, good night.”
“But we are friends.”
“Oh yes; — as good friends as ever.”
Cheesacre, as he drove himself home in the dark, tried to console himself by thinking of the miserable plight in which Bellfield would find himself at Norwich, with no possessions but what he had brought into the town that day in a small bag. But as he turned in at his own gate he met two figures emerging; one of them was laden with a portmanteau, and the other with a hat case.
“It’s only me, Cheesy, my boy,” said Bellfield. “I’ve just come down by the rail to fetch my things, and I’m going back to Norwich by the 9.20.
“If you’ve stolen anything of mine I’ll have you prosecuted,” roared Cheesacre, as he drove his gig up to his own door.
VOLUME II
CHAPTER XLI
A Noble Lord Dies
George Vavasor remained about four days beneath his grandfather’s roof; but he was not happy there himself, nor did he contribute to the happiness of any one else. He remained there in great discomfort so long, being unwilling to leave till an answer had been received to the request made to Aunt Greenow, in order that he might insist on Kate’s performance of her promise with reference to Alice, if that answer should be unfavourable. During these five days Kate did all in her power to induce her brother to be, at any rate, kind in his manner towards his grandfather, but it was in vain. The Squire would not be the first to be gracious; and George, quite as obstinate as the old man, would take no steps in that direction till encouraged to do so by graciousness from the other side. Poor Kate entreated each of them to begin, but her entreaties were of no avail. “He is an ill-mannered cub,” the old man said, “and I was a fool to let him into the house. Don’t mention his name to me again.” George argued the matter more at length. Kate spoke to him of his own interest in the matter, urging upon him that he might, by such conduct, drive the Squire to exclude him altogether from the property.
“He must do as he likes,” George said, sulkily.
“But for Alice’s sake!” Kate answered.
“Alice would be the last to expect me to submit to unreasonable ill-usage for the sake of money. As regards myself, I confess that I’m very fond of money and am not particularly squeamish. I would do anything that a man can do to secure it. But this I can’t do. I never injured him, and I never asked him to injure himself. I never attempted to borrow money from him. I have never cost him a shilling. When I was in the wine business he might have enabled me to make a large fortune simply by settling on me then the reversion of property which, when he dies, ought to be my own. He was so perversely ignorant that he would make no inquiry, but chose to think that I was ruining myself, at the only time of my life when I was really doing well.”
“But he had a right to act as he pleased,” urged Kate.
“Certainly he had. But he had no right to resent my asking such a favour at his hands. He was an ignorant old fool not to do it; but I should never have quarrelled with him on that account. Nature made him a fool, and it wasn’t his fault. But I can’t bring myself to kneel in the dirt before him simply because I asked for what was reasonable.”
The two men said very little to each other. They were never alone together except during that half-hour after dinner in which they were supposed to drink their wine. The old Squire always took three glasses of port during this period, and expected that his grandson would take three with him. But George would drink none at all. “I have given up drinking wine after dinner,” said he, when his grandfather pushed the bottle over to him. “I suppose you mean that you drink nothing but claret,” said the Squire, in a tone of voice that was certainly not conciliatory. “I mean simply what I say,” said George — “that I have given up drinking wine after dinner.” The old man could not openly quarrel with his heir on such a point as that. Even Mr Vavasor could not tell his grandson that he was going to the dogs because he had become temperate. But, nevertheless, there was offence in it; and when George sat perfectly
silent, looking at the fire, evidently determined to make no attempt at conversation, the offence grew, and became strong. “What the devil’s the use of your sitting there if you neither drink nor talk?” said the old man. “No use in the world, that I can see,” said George; “if, however, I were to leave you, you would abuse me for it.” “I don’t care how soon you leave me,” said the Squire. From all which it may be seen that George Vavasor’s visit to the hall of his ancestors was not satisfactory.
On the fourth day, about noon, came Aunt Greenow’s reply. “Dearest Kate,” she said, “I am not going to do what you ask me,” — thus rushing instantly into the middle of her subject.
You see, I don’t know my nephew, and have no reason for being specially anxious that he should be in Parliament. I don’t care two straws about the glory of the Vavasor family. If I had never done anything for myself, the Vavasors would have done very little for me. I don’t care much about what you call ‘blood.’ I like those who like me, and whom I know. I am very fond of you, and because you have been good to me I would give you a thousand pounds if you wanted it for yourself; but I don’t see why I am to give my money to those I don’t know. If it is necessary to tell my nephew of this, pray tell him that I mean no offence.
Your friend C. is still waiting — waiting — waiting, patiently; but his patience may be exhausted.
Your affectionate aunt,
Arabella Greenow.
“Of course she won’t,” said George, as he threw back the letter to his sister. “Why should she?”
“I had hoped she would,” said Kate.
“Why should she? What did I ever do for her? She is a sensible woman. Who is your friend C., and why is he waiting patiently?”
The Palliser Novels Page 46