CHAPTER IIL

€ Animum nunc hoc celerem, nunc dividit illuc.” !—Vircin.
- THE late Mr. Templeton had been a banker in a provincial _ town, which was the centre of great commercial and agricultural
the happy days of paper currency and war. Besides his country _bank he had a considerable share in a metropolitan one of some eminence. At the time of his marriage with the present Lady _Vargrave he retired altogether from business, and never returned
still kept up a familiar acquaintance with the principal and _ senior partner of the metropolitan bank I have referred to; for _ he wasa man who always loved to talk about money matters with those who understood them. This gentleman, Mr. Gustavus _ Douce, had been named, with Lumley, joint trustee to Evelyn’s _ fortune. They had full powers to invest it in whatever stock - seemed most safe or advantageous. The trustees appeared well 4 chosen ; as one, being destined to share the fortune, would have E the deepest interest in its security ; and the other, from his habits and profession, would be a most excellent adviser. _ Of Mr. Douce, Lord Vargrave had seen but little ; they were
not thrown together. But Lord Vargrave, who thought every rich man might, some time or other, become a desirable acquaint- ance, regularly asked him once every year to dinner; and twice ; in return he had dined with Mr. Douce, in one of the most _ splendid villas, and off some of the most splendid plate it had ever been his fortune to witness and to envy !—so that the little _ favour he was about to ask was but a slight return for Lord _ Vargrave’s condescension.
He found the banker in his private sanctum—his carriage at
the door—for it was just four o’clock, an hour in which Mr. - Douce regularly departed to Caserta, as his aforesaid villa was | somewhat affectedly styled. Ai - 1 Now this, now that, distracts the active mind.
. activity and enterprise. He had made the bulk of his fortune in _
_ to the place in which his wealth had been amassed. He had 3
quite master of his own limbs: when he bowed he seemed to be ©
making you a present of his legs; when he sat down, he twitched _
first on one side, then on the other—thrust his hands into his pockets, then took them out, and looked at them, as if in asto- nishment—then seized upon a pen, by which they were luckily provided with incessant occupation. Meanwhile, there was what
might fairly be called a constant play of countenance: first he —
rose like rainbows, to the horizon of his pale, straw-coloured
hair—and next darted them down, like an avalanche, over the —
twinkling, restless, fluttering, little blue eyes, which then became almost invisible. Mr. Douce had, in fact, all the appearance of a painfully shy man, which was the more strange, as he had the
~ smiled, then looked grave—now raised his eyebrows, till they
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reputation of enterprise, and even audacity, in the business of —
his profession, and was fond of the society of the great. “JT have called on you, my dear sir,” said Lord Vargrave, after
the preliminary salutations, “to ask a little favour, which, if the —
least inconvenient, have no hesitation in refusing. You know how I am situated with regard to my ward, Miss Cameron ; in a few months I hope she will be Lady Vargrave.”
Mr. Douce showed three small teeth, which were all that, in —
the front of his mouth, fate had left him; and then, as if
alarmed at the indelicacy of a smile upon such a subject, —
pushed back his chair, and twitched up his blotting-paper- coloured trousers. :
“Yes, in a few months I hope she will be Lady Vargrave; and
you know then, Mr. Douce, that I shall be in no want of money.” —
“I hope—that is to say, I am sure—that—lI trust that never will be the ca-ca-case with your lordship,” put in Mr. Douce, with timid hesitation. Mr. Douce, in addition to his other good qualities, stammered much in the delivery of his sentences.
“You are very kind, but it 1s the case just at present : I have great need of a few thousand pounds upon my personal security, My estate is already a little mortgaged, and I don’t wish to encumber it more; besides the loan would be merely temporary ¢
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you know, that if at the age of eighteen Miss Cameron refuses —
me (a supposition out of the question, but in business we must _
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t oS thousand pounds—-you remember,”
_ “Oh, yes—that—is—upon my word-—I—I don’t cnet Ea —your lord—I-l-I-lord-lordship knows best—I have been so—so busy—I forget the exact—hem—hem !”
uncle’s friend
_ with trembling agitation ; “upon my word, yes, a few thou-thou- - thousands—to be sure—to be sure. Your lordship’s banker is is wr
_ “Drummond — disagreeable people—by no means obliging. _ I shall certainly change to your house when my_ accounts are better worth keeping.”
_ “You do me great—great honour; I will just—step—step— __ step out for a moment—and—and speak to Mr Dobs ;—not but _ what you may depend on—Excuse me! Morning Chron-chron- Chronicle, my lord 1” .
Mr. Douce rose, as if by galvanism, and ran out of the room, _ spinning round as he ran, to declare, again and again, that he - would not be gone a moment.
“Good little fellow, that—very like an electrified frog!” - murmured Vargrave, as he took up the Morning Chronicle, so - especially pointed out to his notice; and, turning to the leading article, read a very eloquent attack on himself. Lumley. was -thick-skinned on such matters — he liked to be attacked —it showed that he was up in the world.
_ Presently Mr. Douce returned. To Lord Vargrave’s amaze- - ment and delight, he was informed that ten thousand pounds
of promise to pay in three months—five per cent. interest—was
could be renewed on the same terms, from quarter to quarter, till qu te convenient to his lordship to pay. ‘“ Would Lord Vargrave do him the honour to dine with him at Caserta next Monday *”
; 3 4 “di
Iculate Pare pronan ities), E claim the forfeit. she i incurs—
“Tf you just turn to the will you will see it is as I say.t@ Now. could you conveniently place a few thousands to my account, just for a short time? But I see you don’t like it. Never mind, I can get it elsewhere; only, as you were my poor
“Your lord—lI-l-l-lordship is quite mistaken,” said Mr. Douce, x
would be immediately lodged with Messrs. Drummond. His bill
quite sufficient: three months was a short date; but the bill
es Lord Vargrave tried to affect apathy at his sudden accession _ of ready money; but, really, it almost turned his head: he ©
griped both Mr, Douce’s thin, little shivering hands, and was speechless with gratitude and ecstasy. The sum, which doubled the utmost he expected, would relieve him from all his immediate embarrassments. When he recovered his voice, he thanked his dear Mr. Douce with a warmth that seemed to make the little man shrink into a nutshell; and assured him that he would dine
with him every Monday in the year—if he was asked! He then
longed to depart ; but he thought, justly, that to go as soon as
he had got what he wanted would look selfish; accordingly, he —
reseated himself, and so did Mr. Douce, and the conversation
turned upon politics and news; but Mr. Douce, who seemed to —
regard all things with a commercial eye, contrived, Vargrave
hardly knew how, to veer round from the change in the French —
ministry to the state of the English money-market. “It really is, indeed, my lord—I say it, I am sure, with concern, a very bad ti-ti-ti-ti-time for men in business—indeed, for all men—such poor interest in the English fu-fun-funds— and yet speculations are so unsound. I recommended my
friend Sir Giles Grimsby to—to invest some money in the’ American canals; a most rare res-res-respons-responsibility, I _
may say, for me; I am cautious in—in recommending—but Sir Giles was an old friend—con-con-connection, I may say; but most providentially, all turned out—that is—fell out—as I
was sure it would—thirty per cent.—and the value of the sh-sh- 7 sh-shares doubled. But such things are very rare—quite god-.
sends, I may say!” ;
“Well, Mr. Douce, whenever I have money to lay out, I must come and consult you.” /
“T shall be most happy at all times to—to advise your
lordship ; but it is not a thing I’m very fond of; there’s Miss
Cameron’s fortune quite 1-l-locked up—three per cents and exchequer bills ; why, it might have been a mil-mil-million by this ti-ti-time, if the good old gentleman—I beg pardon—old —old nobleman, my poor dear friend, had been now alive!”
“Indeed!” said Lumley, greedily, and pricking up his ears;
“(he was a good manager, my uncle }”
better, none better. Miss Cameron a ylord ?:”"- =
“Not much of that, I fear, A million did you say ?”
_ “At least !—indeed, at least—money so Scarce—speculation so sure in America—great people the Americans—rising people— -gi-giants—giants !” ca “T am wasting your whole morning—too bad in me,” said “the Lords meet this evening | a thousand thanks to you —
I may say a genius for busi—hem young woman of bus-bus-business,
said Mr. Douce, fidgeting, d Vargrave, as the latter
you will catch cold. Good-bye—on then, seven o'clock. The House of Lords.”
umley threw himself back in his carriage in high spirits,
Al And L