The Way We Live Now

by Anthony Trollope

  CHAPTER XXII.

  LORD NIDDERDALE'S MORALITY.

  It was very generally said in the city about this time that the GreatSouth Central Pacific and Mexican Railway was the very best thingout. It was known that Mr. Melmotte had gone into it with heart andhand. There were many who declared,--with gross injustice to theGreat Fisker,--that the railway was Melmotte's own child, that he hadinvented it, advertised it, agitated it, and floated it; but it wasnot the less popular on that account. A railway from Salt Lake Cityto Mexico no doubt had much of the flavour of a castle in Spain.Our far-western American brethren are supposed to be imaginative.Mexico has not a reputation among us for commercial security, orthat stability which produces its four, five, or six per cent. withthe regularity of clockwork. But there was the Panama railway, asmall affair which had paid twenty-five per cent.; and there was thegreat line across the continent to San Francisco, in which enormousfortunes had been made. It came to be believed that men with theireyes open might do as well with the Great South Central as had everbeen done before with other speculations, and this belief was nodoubt founded on Mr. Melmotte's partiality for the enterprise. Mr.Fisker had "struck 'ile" when he induced his partner, Montague, togive him a note to the great man.

  Paul Montague himself, who cannot be said to have been a man havinghis eyes open, in the city sense of the word, could not learn howthe thing was progressing. At the regular meetings of the Board,which never sat for above half an hour, two or three papers were readby Miles Grendall. Melmotte himself would speak a few slow words,intended to be cheery, and always indicative of triumph, and theneverybody would agree to everything, somebody would sign something,and the "Board" for that day would be over. To Paul Montague this wasvery unsatisfactory. More than once or twice he endeavoured to staythe proceedings, not as disapproving, but "simply as desirous ofbeing made to understand;" but the silent scorn of his chairman puthim out of countenance, and the opposition of his colleagues wasa barrier which he was not strong enough to overcome. Lord AlfredGrendall would declare that he "did not think all that was at allnecessary." Lord Nidderdale, with whom Montague had now becomeintimate at the Beargarden, would nudge him in the ribs and bid himhold his tongue. Mr. Cohenlupe would make a little speech in fluentbut broken English, assuring the Committee that everything was beingdone after the approved city fashion. Sir Felix, after the first twomeetings, was never there. And thus Paul Montague, with a sorelyburdened conscience, was carried along as one of the Directors of theGreat South Central Pacific and Mexican Railway Company.

  I do not know whether the burden was made lighter to him or heavier,by the fact that the immediate pecuniary result was certainly verycomfortable. The Company had not yet been in existence quite sixweeks,--or at any rate Melmotte had not been connected with it abovethat time,--and it had already been suggested to him twice that heshould sell fifty shares at L112 10_s_. He did not even yet know howmany shares he possessed, but on both occasions he consented to theproposal, and on the following day received a cheque for L625,--thatsum representing the profit over and above the original nominal priceof L100 a share. The suggestion was made to him by Miles Grendall,and when he asked some questions as to the manner in which the shareshad been allocated, he was told that all that would be arranged inaccordance with the capital invested and must depend on the finaldisposition of the Californian property. "But from what we see, oldfellow," said Miles, "I don't think you have anything to fear. Youseem to be about the best in of them all. Melmotte wouldn't adviseyou to sell out gradually, if he didn't look upon the thing as acertain income as far as you are concerned."

  Paul Montague understood nothing of all this, and felt that he wasstanding on ground which might be blown from under his feet at anymoment. The uncertainty, and what he feared might be the dishonesty,of the whole thing, made him often very miserable. In those wretchedmoments his conscience was asserting itself. But again there weretimes in which he also was almost triumphant, and in which he feltthe delight of his wealth. Though he was snubbed at the Board whenhe wanted explanations, he received very great attention outside theboard-room from those connected with the enterprise. Melmotte hadasked him to dine two or three times. Mr. Cohenlupe had begged him togo down to his little place at Rickmansworth,--an entreaty with whichMontague had not as yet complied. Lord Alfred was always gracious tohim, and Nidderdale and Carbury were evidently anxious to make himone of their set at the club. Many other houses became open to himfrom the same source. Though Melmotte was supposed to be the inventorof the railway, it was known that Fisker, Montague, and Montague werelargely concerned in it, and it was known also that Paul Montague wasone of the Montagues named in that firm. People, both in the City andthe West End, seemed to think that he knew all about it, and treatedhim as though some of the manna falling from that heaven were at hisdisposition. There were results from this which were not unpleasingto the young man. He only partially resisted the temptation; andthough determined at times to probe the affair to the bottom, was sodetermined only at times. The money was very pleasant to him. Theperiod would now soon arrive before which he understood himself to bepledged not to make a distinct offer to Henrietta Carbury; and whenthat period should have been passed, it would be delightful to him toknow that he was possessed of property sufficient to enable him togive a wife a comfortable home. In all his aspirations, and in allhis fears, he was true to Hetta Carbury, and made her the centre ofhis hopes. Nevertheless, had Hetta known everything, it may be fearedthat she would have at any rate endeavoured to dismiss him from herheart.

  There was considerable uneasiness in the bosoms of others of theDirectors, and a disposition to complain against the Grand Director,arising from a grievance altogether different from that whichafflicted Montague. Neither had Sir Felix Carbury nor Lord Nidderdalebeen invited to sell shares, and consequently neither of themhad received any remuneration for the use of their names. Theyknew well that Montague had sold shares. He was quite open on thesubject, and had told Felix, whom he hoped some day to regardas his brother-in-law, exactly what shares he had sold, and forhow much;--and the two men had endeavoured to make the matterintelligible between themselves. The original price of the sharesbeing L100 each, and L12 10_s._ a share having been paid to Montagueas the premium, it was to be supposed that the original capital wasre-invested in other shares. But each owned to the other that thematter was very complicated to him, and Montague could only writeto Hamilton K. Fisker at San Francisco asking for explanation. Asyet he had received no answer. But it was not the wealth flowinginto Montague's hands which embittered Nidderdale and Carbury. Theyunderstood that he had really brought money into the concern, and wastherefore entitled to take money out of it. Nor did it occur to themto grudge Melmotte his more noble pickings, for they knew how greata man was Melmotte. Of Cohenlupe's doings they heard nothing; but hewas a regular city man, and had probably supplied funds. Cohenlupewas too deep for their inquiry. But they knew that Lord Alfred hadsold shares, and had received the profit; and they knew also howutterly impossible it was that Lord Alfred should have producedcapital. If Lord Alfred Grendall was entitled to plunder, why werenot they? And if their day for plunder had not yet come, why hadLord Alfred's? And if there was so much cause to fear Lord Alfredthat it was necessary to throw him a bone, why should not theyalso make themselves feared? Lord Alfred passed all his time withMelmotte,--had, as these young men said, become Melmotte's headvalet,--and therefore had to be paid. But that reason did not satisfythe young men.

  "You haven't sold any shares;--have you?" This question Sir Felixasked Lord Nidderdale at the club. Nidderdale was constant in hisattendance at the Board, and Felix was not a little afraid that hemight be jockied also by him.

  "Not a share."

  "Nor got any profits?"

  "Not a shilling of any kind. As far as money is concerned my onlytransaction has been my part of the expense of Fisker's dinner."

  "What do you get then, by going into the city?" asked Sir Felix.

  "I'm blessed if I
know what I get. I suppose something will turn upsome day."

  "In the meantime, you know, there are our names. And Grendall ismaking a fortune out of it."

  "Poor old duffer," said his lordship. "If he's doing so well, I thinkMiles ought to be made to pay up something of what he owes. I thinkwe ought to tell him that we shall expect him to have the money readywhen that bill of Vossner's comes round."

  "Yes, by George; let's tell him that. Will you do it?"

  "Not that it will be the least good. It would be quite unnatural tohim to pay anything."

  "Fellows used to pay their gambling debts," said Sir Felix, who wasstill in funds, and who still held a considerable assortment of I. O.U.'s.

  "They don't now,--unless they like it. How did a fellow managebefore, if he hadn't got it?"

  "He went smash," said Sir Felix, "and disappeared and was never heardof any more. It was just the same as if he'd been found cheating. Ibelieve a fellow might cheat now and nobody'd say anything!"

  "I shouldn't," said Lord Nidderdale. "What's the use of being beastlyill-natured? I'm not very good at saying my prayers, but I do thinkthere's something in that bit about forgiving people. Of coursecheating isn't very nice: and it isn't very nice for a fellow to playwhen he knows he can't pay; but I don't know that it's worse thangetting drunk like Dolly Longestaffe, or quarrelling with everybodyas Grasslough does,--or trying to marry some poor devil of a girlmerely because she's got money. I believe in living in glass houses,but I don't believe in throwing stones. Do you ever read the Bible,Carbury?"

  "Read the Bible! Well;--yes;--no;--that is, I suppose, I used to do."

  "I often think I shouldn't have been the first to pick up a stone andpitch it at that woman. Live and let live;--that's my motto."

  "But you agree that we ought to do something about these shares?"said Sir Felix, thinking that this doctrine of forgiveness might becarried too far.

  "Oh, certainly. I'll let old Grendall live with all my heart; butthen he ought to let me live too. Only, who's to bell the cat?"

  "What cat?"

  "It's no good our going to old Grendall," said Lord Nidderdale, whohad some understanding in the matter, "nor yet to young Grendall. Theone would only grunt and say nothing, and the other would tell everylie that came into his head. The cat in this matter I take to be ourgreat master, Augustus Melmotte."

  This little meeting occurred on the day after Felix Carbury's returnfrom Suffolk, and at a time at which, as we know, it was the greatduty of his life to get the consent of old Melmotte to his marriagewith Marie Melmotte. In doing that he would have to put one bell onthe cat, and he thought that for the present that was sufficient. Inhis heart of hearts he was afraid of Melmotte. But then, as he knewvery well, Nidderdale was intent on the same object. Nidderdale, hethought, was a very queer fellow. That talking about the Bible, andthe forgiving of trespasses, was very queer; and that allusion tothe marrying of heiresses very queer indeed. He knew that Nidderdalewanted to marry the heiress, and Nidderdale must also know that hewanted to marry her. And yet Nidderdale was indelicate enough to talkabout it! And now the man asked who should bell the cat! "You gothere oftener than I do, and perhaps you could do it best," said SirFelix.

  "Go where?"

  "To the Board."

  "But you're always at his house. He'd be civil to me, perhaps,because I'm a lord: but then, for the same reason, he'd think I wasthe bigger fool of the two."

  "I don't see that at all," said Sir Felix.

  "I ain't afraid of him, if you mean that," continued Lord Nidderdale."He's a wretched old reprobate, and I don't doubt but he'd skin youand me if he could make money off our carcasses. But as he can't skinme, I'll have a shy at him. On the whole I think he rather likes me,because I've always been on the square with him. If it depended onhim, you know, I should have the girl to-morrow."

  "Would you?" Sir Felix did not at all mean to doubt his friend'sassertion, but felt it hard to answer so very strange a statement.

  "But then she don't want me, and I ain't quite sure that I want her.Where the devil would a fellow find himself if the money wasn't allthere?" Lord Nidderdale then sauntered away, leaving the baronet in adeep study of thought as to such a condition of things as that whichhis lordship had suggested. Where the--mischief would he, Sir FelixCarbury, be, if he were to marry the girl, and then to find that themoney was not all there?

  On the following Friday, which was the Board day, Nidderdale went tothe great man's offices in Abchurch Lane, and so contrived that hewalked with the great man to the Board meeting. Melmotte was alwaysvery gracious in his manner to Lord Nidderdale, but had never, upto this moment, had any speech with his proposed son-in-law aboutbusiness. "I wanted just to ask you something," said the lord,hanging on the chairman's arm.

  "Anything you please, my lord."

  "Don't you think that Carbury and I ought to have some shares tosell?"

  "No, I don't,--if you ask me."

  "Oh;--I didn't know. But why shouldn't we as well as the others?"

  "Have you and Sir Felix put any money into it?"

  "Well, if you come to that, I don't suppose we have. How much hasLord Alfred put into it?"

  "_I_ have taken shares for Lord Alfred," said Melmotte, putting veryheavy emphasis on the personal pronoun. "If it suits me to advancemoney to Lord Alfred Grendall, I suppose I may do so without askingyour lordship's consent, or that of Sir Felix Carbury."

  "Oh, certainly. I don't want to make inquiry as to what you do withyour money."

  "I'm sure you don't, and, therefore, we won't say anything more aboutit. You wait awhile, Lord Nidderdale, and you'll find it will comeall right. If you've got a few thousand pounds loose, and will putthem into the concern, why, of course you can sell; and, if theshares are up, can sell at a profit. It's presumed just at presentthat, at some early day, you'll qualify for your directorship bydoing so, and till that is done, the shares are allocated to you, butcannot be transferred to you."

  "That's it, is it," said Lord Nidderdale, pretending to understandall about it.

  "If things go on as we hope they will between you and Marie, you canhave pretty nearly any number of shares that you please;--that is, ifyour father consents to a proper settlement."

  "I hope it'll all go smooth, I'm sure," said Nidderdale. "Thank you;I'm ever so much obliged to you, and I'll explain it all to Carbury."