CHAPTER XI
DR. ADDINGTON
It did not occur to Lady Dunborough to ask herself seriously how a girlin the Mastersons' position came to be in such quarters as the CastleInn, and to have a middle-aged and apparently respectable attorney for atravelling companion. Or, if her ladyship did ask herself thosequestions, she was content with the solution, which the tutor out of hisknowledge of human nature had suggested; namely, that the girl, wily asshe was beautiful, knew that a retreat in good order, flanked after thefashion of her betters by duenna and man of business, doubled hervirtue; and by so much improved her value, and her chance of catchingMr. Dunborough and a coronet.
There was one in the house, however, who did set himself these riddles,and was at a loss for an answer. Sir George Soane, supping with Dr.Addington, the earl's physician, found his attention wander from theconversation, and more than once came near to stating the problem whichtroubled him. The cosy room, in which the two sat, lay at the bottom ofa snug passage leading off the principal corridor of the west wing; andwas as remote from the stir and bustle of the more public part of thehouse as the silent movements of Sir George's servant were from theclumsy haste of the helpers whom the pressure of the moment hadcompelled the landlord to call in.
The physician had taken his supper earlier, but was gourmet enough tofollow, now with an approving word, and now with a sigh, the differentstages of Sir George's meal. In public, a starched, dry man, the idealof a fashionable London doctor of the severer type, he was in private abenevolent and easy friend; a judge of port, and one who commended it toothers; and a man of some weight in the political world. In his earlydays he had been a mad doctor; and at Batson's he could still disconcertthe impertinent by a shrewd glance, learned and practised among thoseunfortunates.
With such qualifications, Dr. Addington was not slow to perceive SirGeorge's absence of mind; and presuming on old friendship--he hadattended the younger man from boyhood--he began to probe for the cause.Raising his half-filled glass to the light, and rolling the lastmouthful on his tongue, 'I am afraid,' he said, 'that what I heard intown was true?'
'What was it?' Soane asked, rousing himself.
'I heard, Sir George, that my Lady Hazard had proved an inconstantmistress of late?'
'Yes. Hang the jade! And yet--we could not live without her!'
'They are saying that you lost three thousand to my Lord March, thenight before you left town?'
'Halve it.'
'Indeed? Still--an expensive mistress?'
'Can you direct me to a cheap one?' Sir George said rather crustily.
'No. But doesn't it occur to you a wife with money--might be cheaper?'the doctor asked with a twinkle in his eye.
Sir George shrugged his shoulders for answer, and turning from thetable--the servant had withdrawn--brushed the crumbs from his breeches,and sat staring at the lire, his glass in his hand. 'I suppose--it willcome to that presently,' he said, sipping his wine.
'Very soon,' the doctor answered, drily, 'unless I am in error.'
Sir George looked at him. 'Come, doctor!' he said. 'You know something!What is it?'
'I know that it is town talk that you lost seven thousand last season;and God knows how many thousands in the three seasons before it!'
'Well, one must live,' Sir George answered lightly.
'But not at that rate.'
'In that state of life, doctor, into which God has been pleased--youknow the rest.'
'In that state of life into which the devil!' retorted the doctor withheat.' If I thought that my boy would ever grow up to do nothing betterthan--than--but there, forgive me. I grow warm when I think of the oldtrees, and the old pictures, and the old Halls that you fine gentlemenat White's squander in a night! Why, I know of a little place inOxfordshire, which, were it mine by inheritance--as it is mybrother's--I would not stake against a Canons or a Petworth!'
'And Stavordale would stake it against a bootjack--rather than not playat all!' Sir George answered complacently.
'The more fool he!' snapped the doctor.
'So I think.'
'Eh?'
'So I think,' Sir George answered coolly. 'But one must be in thefashion, doctor.'
'One must be in the Fleet!' the doctor retorted. 'To be in the fashionyou'll ruin yourself! If you have not done it already,' he continuedwith something like a groan. 'There, pass the bottle. I have notpatience with you. One of these fine days you will awake to findyourself in the Rules.'
'Doctor,' Soane answered, returning to his point, 'you know something.'
'Well--'
'You know why my lord sent for me.'
'And what if I do?' Dr. Addington answered, looking thoughtfully throughhis wine. 'To tell the truth, I do, Sir George, I do, and I wish I didnot; for the news I have is not of the best. There is a claimant to thatmoney come forward. I do not know his name or anything about him; buthis lordship thinks seriously of the matter. I am not sure,' the doctorcontinued, with his professional air, and as if his patient in the otherroom were alone in his mind, 'that the vexation attending it has notprecipitated this attack. I'm not--at all--sure of it. And Lady Chathamcertainly thinks so.'
Sir George was some time silent. Then, with a fair show of indifference,'And who is the claimant?' he asked.
'That I don't know,' Dr. Addington answered. 'He purports, I suppose, tobe your uncle's heir. But I do know that his attorney has forwardedcopies of documents to his lordship, and that Lord Chatham thinks thematter of serious import.'
'The worse for me,' said Sir George, forcing a yawn. 'As you say,doctor, your news is not of the best.'
'Nor, I hope, of the worst,' the physician answered with feeling. 'Theestate is entailed?'
Sir George shook his head. 'No,' he said. 'It is mortgaged. But that isnot the same thing.'
The doctor's face showed genuine distress. 'Ah, my friend, you shouldnot have done that,' he said reproachfully. 'A property that has been inthe family--why, since--'
'My great-grandfather the stay-maker's time,' Sir George answeredflippantly, as he emptied his glass. 'You know Selwyn's last upon that?It came by bones, and it is going by bones.'
'God forbid!' said the physician, rubbing his gold-rimmed glasses withan air of kindly vexation, not unmixed with perplexity. 'If I thoughtthat my boy would ever come to--to--'
'Buzz the gold-headed cane?' Sir George said gravely. 'Yes, doctor, whatwould you do?'
But the physician, instead of answering, looked fixedly at him, nodded,and turned away. 'You would deceive some, Sir George,' he said quietly,'but you do not deceive me. When a man who is not jocular by naturemakes two jokes in as many minutes, he is hard hit.'
'Insight?' drawled Sir George lazily. 'Or instinct.'
'Experience among madmen--some would call it,' the doctor retorted withwarmth. 'But it is not. It is what you fine gentlemen at White's have nopart in! Good feeling.'
'Ah!' said Soane; and then a different look came into his face. Hestooped and poked the fire. 'Pardon me, doctor,' he said soberly. 'Youare a good fellow. It is--well, of course, it's a blow. If your news betrue, I stand to lose fifty thousand; and shall be worth about as muchas a Nabob spends yearly on his liveries.'
Dr. Addington, in evident distress, thrust back his wig. 'Is it as badas that?' he said. 'Dear, dear, I did not dream of this.'
'Nor I,' Sir George said drily. 'Or I should not have betted withMarch.'
'And the old house!' the doctor continued, more and more moved. 'I don'tknow one more comfortable.'
'You must buy it,' said Soane. 'I have spared the timber, and there is alittle of the old wine left.'
'Dear, dear!' the doctor answered; and his sigh said more than thewords. Apparently it was also more effectual in moving Sir George. Herose and began to pace the room, choosing a part where his face evadedthe light of the candles that stood in heavy silver sconces on the darkmahogany. Presently he laughed, but the laugh was mirthless.
'It is quite the Rake's Progress,' he s
aid, pausing before one ofHogarth's prints which hung on the wall. 'Perhaps I have been a littleless of a fool and a little more of a rogue than my prototype; but theend is the same. D----n me, I am sorry for the servants, doctor--thoughI dare swear that they have robbed me right and left. It is a pity thatclumsy fool, Dunborough, did not get home when he had the chance theother day.'
The doctor took snuff, put up his box, filled his glass and emptied itbefore he spoke. Then, 'No, no, Sir George, it has not come to thatyet,' he said heartily. 'There is only one thing for it now. They mustdo something for you.' And he also rose to his feet, and stood with hisback to the fire, looking at his companion.
'Who?' Soane asked, though he knew very well what the other meant.
'The Government,' said the doctor. 'The mission to Turin is likely to bevacant by-and-by. Or, if that be too much to ask, a consulship, say atGenoa or Leghorn, might be found, and serve for a stepping-stone toFlorence. Sir Horace has done well there, and you--'
'Might toady a Grand-duke and bear-lead sucking peers--as well asanother!' Soane answered with a gesture of disgust. 'Ugh, one might aswell be Thomasson and ruin boys. No, doctor, that will not do. I hadsooner hang myself at once, as poor Fanny Braddock did at Bath, or put apistol to my head like Bland!'
'God forbid!' said the doctor solemnly.
Sir George shrugged his shoulders, but little by little his face lostits hardness. 'Yes, God forbid,' he said gently. 'But it is odd. Thereis poor Tavistock with a pretty wife and two children, and anothercoming; and Woburn and thirty thousand a year to inherit, broke his necklast week with the hounds; and I, who have nothing to inherit, whynothing hurts me!'
Dr. Addington disregarded his words.
'They must do something for you at home then,' he said, firmly set onhis benevolent designs. 'In the Mint or the Customs. There should not bethe least difficulty about it. You must speak to his lordship, and it isnot to be supposed that he will refuse.'
Sir George grunted, and might have expressed his doubts, but at thatmoment the sound of voices raised in altercation penetrated the roomfrom the passage. A second later, while the two stood listening,arrested by the noise, the door was thrown open with such violence thatthe candles flickered in the draught. Two persons appeared on thethreshold, the one striving to make his way in, the other to resistthe invasion.
The former was our friend Mr. Fishwick, who having succeeded in pushingpast his antagonist, stared round the room with a mixture ofastonishment and chagrin. 'But--this is _not_ his lordship's room!' hecried. 'I tell you, I will see his lordship!' he continued. 'I havebusiness with him, and--' here his gaze alighted on Sir George, and hestood confounded.
Dr. Addington took advantage of the pause. 'Watkins,' he said in anawful voice, 'what is the meaning of this unmannerly intrusion? And whois this person?'
'He persisted that he must see his lordship,' the servant, a sleek,respectable man in black, answered. 'And rather than have words about itat his lordship's door--which I would not for twice the likes of him!'he added with a malevolent glance at the attorney--'I brought him here.I believe he is mad. I told him it was out of the question, if he wasthe king of England or my lord duke. But he would have it that he had anappointment.'
'So I have!' cried Mr. Fishwick with heat and an excited gesture. 'Ihave an appointment with Lord Chatham. I should have been with hislordship at nine o'clock.'
'An appointment? At this time of night?' Dr. Addington returned with afreezing mien. 'With Lord Chatham? And who may you please to be, sir,who claim this privilege?'
'My name is Fishwick, sir, and I am an attorney,' our friend replied.
'A mad attorney?' Dr. Addington answered, affecting to hear him amiss.
'No more mad, sir, than you are!' Mr. Fishwick retorted, kindling at theinsinuation. 'Do you comprehend me, sir? I come by appointment. My lordhas been so good as to send for me, and I defy any one to close hisdoor on me!'
'Are you aware, sir,' said the doctor, frowning under his wig with theport of an indignant Jupiter, 'what hour it is? It is ten o'clock.'
'It may be ten o'clock or it may be eleven o'clock,' the attorneyanswered doggedly. 'But his lordship has honoured me with a summons, andsee him I must. I insist on seeing him.'
'You may insist or not as you please,' said Dr. Addingtoncontemptuously. 'You will not see him. Watkins,' he continued, 'what isthis cock-and-bull story of a summons? Has his lordship sent forany one?'
'About nine o'clock he said that he would see Sir George Soane if he wasin the house,' Watkins answered. 'I did not know that Sir George washere, and I sent the message to his apartments by one of the men.'
'Well,' said Dr. Addington in his coldest manner, 'what has that to dowith this gentleman?'
'I think I can tell you,' Sir George said, intervening with a smile.'His party have the rooms that were reserved for me. And doubtless by anerror the message which was intended for me was delivered to him.'
'Ah!' said Dr. Addington gruffly. 'I understand.'
Alas! poor Mr. Fishwick understood too; and his face, as the truthdawned on him, was one of the most comical sights ever seen. A nervous,sanguine man, the attorney had been immensely elated by the honour paidto him; he had thought his cause won and his fortune made. The downfallwas proportionate: in a second his pomp and importance were gone, and hestood before them timidly rubbing one hand on another. Yet even in theridiculous position in which the mistake placed him--in the wrong andwith all his heroics wasted--he retained a sort of manliness. 'Dear me,dear me,' he said, his jaw fallen, 'I--Your most humble servant, sir! Ioffer a thousand apologies for the intrusion! But having business withhis lordship, and receiving the message,' he continued in a tone ofpathetic regret, 'it was natural I should think it was intended for me.I can say no more than that I humbly crave pardon for intruding on you,honourable gentlemen, over your wine.'
Dr. Addington bowed stiffly; he was not the man to forgive a liberty.But Sir George had a kindly impulse. In spite of himself, he could notrefrain from liking the little man who so strangely haunted his steps.There was a spare glass on the table. He pushed it and the bottletowards Mr. Fishwick.
'There is no harm done,' he said kindly. 'A glass of wine with you,sir.'
Mr. Fishwick in his surprise and nervousness, dropped his hat, pickedit up, and dropped it again; finally he let it lie while he filled hisglass. His hand shook; he was unaccountably agitated. But he managed toacquit himself fairly, and with a 'Greatly honoured, Sir George.Good-night, gentlemen,' he disappeared.
'What is his business with Lord Chatham?' Dr. Addington asked rathercoldly. It was plain that he did not approve of Sir George'scondescension.
'I have no notion,' Soane answered, yawning. 'But he has got a verypretty girl with him. Whether she is laying traps for Dunborough--'
'The viscountess's son?'
'Just so--I cannot say. But that is the old harridan's account of it.'
'Is she here too?'
'Lord, yes; and they had no end of a quarrel downstairs. There is astory about the girl and Dunborough. I'll tell it you some time.'
'I began to think--he was here on your business,' said the doctor.
'He? Oh, no,' Sir George answered without suspicion, and turned to lookfor his candlestick. 'I suppose that he is in the case I am in--wantssomething and comes to the fountain of honour to get it.'
And bidding the other good-night, he went to bed; not to sleep, but tolie awake and reckon and calculate, and add a charge here to interestthere, and set both against income, and find nothing remain.
He had sneered at the old home because it had been in his family only somany generations. But there is this of evil in an old house--it is badto live in, but worse to part from. Sir George, straining his eyes inthe darkness, saw the long avenue of elms and the rooks' nests, and thestartled birds circling overhead; and at the end of the vista the widedoorway, _aed. temp._ Jac. 1--saw it all more lucidly than he had seenit since the September morning when he traversed it, a boy of four
teen,with his first gun on his arm. Well, it was gone; but he was Sir George,macaroni and fashionable, arbiter of elections at White's, and great atAlmack's, more powerful in his sphere than a belted earl! But, then,that was gone too, with the money--and--and what was left? Sir Georgegroaned and turned on his pillow and thought of Bland and FannyBraddock. He wondered if any one had ever left the Castle by the suicidedoor, and, to escape his thoughts, lit a candle and read 'La BelleHeloise,' which he had in his mail.
The Castle Inn Page 11