What Will He Do With It? (Belford)/Book 7/Chapter 5
CHAPTER V.
Eleven o'clock, a. m. Samuel Adolphus Poole, Esq., is in his parlor—the house one of those new dwellings which yearly spring up north of the Regent's Park—dwellings that, attesting the eccentricity of the national character, task the fancy of the architect and the gravity of the beholder—each tenement so tortured into contrast with the other, that, on one little rood of ground, all ages seem blended, and all races encamped. No. 1 is an Egyptian tomb—Pharaohs may repose there! No. 2 is a Swiss chalet—William Tell may be shooting in its garden! Lo! the severity of Doric columns—Sparta is before you! Behold that Gothic porch—you are rapt to the Norman days! Ha! those Elizabethan mullions—Sidney and Raleigh rise again! Ho! the trellises of China—come forth, Confucius and Commissioner Yeh! Passing a few paces, we are in the land of the Zegri and Abencerage—
"Land of the dark-eyed Maid and dusky Moor."
Mr. Poole's house is called Alhambra Villa! Moorish verandas—plate-glass windows, with cusped heads and mahogany sashes—a garden behind, a smaller one in front—stairs ascending to the door-way under a Saracenic portico, between two pedestalled lions that resemble poodles—the whole new and lustrous—in semblance stone, in substance stucco—cracks in the stucco denoting "settlements." But the house being let for ninety-nine years—relet again on a running lease of seven, fourteen, and twentyone—the builder is not answerable for duration, nor the original lessee for repairs. Take it altogether, than Alhambra Villa masonry could devise no better type of modern taste and metropolitan speculation.
Mr. Poole, since we saw him, between four and five years ago, has entered the matrimonial state. He has married a lady of some money, and become a reformed man. He has eschewed the turf, relinquished belcher neckcloths and Newmarket coats—dropped his old bachelor acquaintances. When a man marries and reforms—especially when marriage and reform are accom- panied with increased income, and settled respectably in Alham- bra Villa—relations, before estranged, tender kindly overtures; the world, before austere, becomes indulgent. It was so with Poole—no longer Dolly. Grant that in earlier life he had fallen into bad ways, and, among equivocal associates, he had been led on by that taste for sporting which is manly though a perilous characteristic of the true-born Englishman. He who loves horses is liable to come in contact with blacklegs. The racer is a noble animal; but it is his misfortune that the better his breeding the worse his company. Grant that in the stables Adolphus Samuel Poole had picked up some wild oats—he had sown them now. By-gones were by-gones. He had made a very prudent marriage. Mrs. Poole was a sensible woman—had rendered him domestic, and would keep him straight! His Uncle Samuel, a most worthy man, had found him that sensible woman, and, having found her, had paid his nephew's debts, and, adding a round sum to the lady's fortune, had seen that the whole was so tightly settled on wife and children that Poole had the tender satisfaction of knowing that happen what might to himself, those dear ones were safe; nay, that if, in the reverses of fortune, he should be compelled by persecuting creditors to fly his native shores, law could not impair the competence it had settled upon Mrs. Poole, nor de- stroy her blessed privilege to share that competence with a be- loved spouse. Insolvency itself thus protected by a marriage- settlement realizes the sublime security of virtue immortalized by the Roman Muse:
"Repulsae nescia sordidae,
lntaminatis fulget honoribus,
Nee sumit aut ponit secures
Arbitrio populaiis aurae."
Mr. Poole was an active man in the parish vestry—he was a sound politician—he subscribed to public charities—he attended public dinners—he had votes in half a dozen public institutions —he talked of the public interests, and called himself a public man. He chose his associates among gentlemen in business— speculative, it is true, but steady. A joint-stock company was set up; he obtained an official station at its board, coupled with a salary—not large, indeed, but still a salary.
"The money," said Adolphus Samuel Poole, "is not my ob- ject; but I like to. have something to do." I cannot say how he did something, but no doubt somebody was done.
Mr. Poole was in his parlor, reading letters and sorting papers, before he departed to his office in the West End. Mrs. Poole entered, leading an infant who had not yet learned to walk alone, and denoting, by an interesting enlargement of shape, a kindly design to bless that infant, at no distant period, with a brother or sister, as the case might be.
"Come and kiss Pa, Johnny," said she to the infant.
"Mrs. Poole, I am busy," growled Pa.
"Pa's busy—working hard for little Johnny. Johnny will be the better for it some day," said Mrs. Poole, tossing the infant half up to the ceiling, in compensation for the loss of the paternal kiss.
"Mrs. Poole, what do you want?"
"May I hire Jones's brougham for two hours to-day to pay visits? There are a great many cards we ought to leave; is there any place where I should leave a card for you, lovey—any per- son of consequence you were introduced to at Mrs. Haughton's last night? That great man they were all talking about, to whom you seemed to take such a fancy, Samuel, duck—"
"Do get out! that man insulted me, I tell you."
"Insulted you! No; you never told me."
"I did tell you last night coming home."
"Dear me, I thought you meant that Mr. Hartopp."
"Well, he almost insulted me, too. Mrs. Poole, you are stupid and disagreeable. Is that all you have to say?"
"Pa's cross, Johnny dear! poor Pa!—people have vexed Pa, Johnny—naughty people. We must go, or we shall vex him too."
Such heavenly sweetness on the part of a forbearing wife would have softened Tamburlane. Poole's sullen brow relaxed. If women knew how to treat men, not a husband, unhenpecked, would be found from Indus to the Pole! And Poole, for all his surly demeanor, was as completely governed by that angel as a bear by his keeper.
"Well, Mrs. Poole, excuse me. I own I am out of sorts to- day—give me little Johnny—there (kissing the infant, who in return makes a dig at Pa's left eye, and begins to cry on finding that he has not succeeded in digging it out)—take the brougham. Hush, Johnny—hush—and you may leave a card for me at Mr. Peckham's, Harley Street. My eye smarts horribly; that baby will gouge me one of these days."
Mrs. Poole has succeeded in stilling the infant, and confess- ing that Johnny's fingers are extremely strong for his age—but, adding, that babies will catch at whatever is very bright and beautiful, such as gold and jewels, and Mr. Poole's eyes, administers to the wounded orb so soothing a lotion of pity and ad- miration that Poole growls out quite mildly—" Nonsense, blarney —by-the-by, I did not say this morning that you should not have the rosewood chiffonier."
"No, you said you could not afford it, duck; and when Pa says he can't afford it, Pa m.ust be the judge—must not he, Johnny dear?"
"But, perhaps I can afford it. Yes, you may have it; yes, I say, you shall have it. Don't forget to leave that card on Peck- ham—he's a moneyed man. There's a ring at the bell, who is in? Run and see."
Mrs. Poole obeyed with great activity, considering her inter- esting condition. She came back in half a minute.
"Oh, my Adolphus! oh, my Samuel! it is that dreadful-look- ing man who was here the other evening—staid with you so long. I don't like his looks at all. Pray, don't be at home."
"I must," said Poole, turning a shade paler, if that were possible. " Stop—don't let that girl go to the door, and you leave me." He snatched his hat and gloves, and putting aside the parlor maid, who had emerged from the shades below in order to answer the ' ring,' walked hastily down the small garden.
Jasper Losely was stationed at the little gate. Jasper was no longer in rags, but he was coarsely clad—clad as if he had re- signed all pretence to please a lady's eye, or to impose upon a West-End tradesman—a check shirt—a rough pea-jacket, his hands buried in its pockets.
Poole started with a well-simulated surprise. " What, you! I am just going to my office—in a great hurry at present."
"Hurry or not, I must and will speak to you," said Jasper, doggedly.
"What now? then, step in;—only remember I can't give you more than five minutes."
The rude visitor followed Poole into the back parlor, and closed the door after him.
Leaning his arms over a chair, his hat still on his head, Losely fixed his fierce eyes on his'old friend, and said in a low, set, de- termined voice—" Now, mark me, Dolly Poole, if you think to shirk my business, or throw me over, you'll find yourself in Queer Street. Have you called on Guy Darrell, and put my case to him, or have you not?"
"I met Mr. Darrell only last night, at a very genteel party. (Poole deemed it prudent not to say by whom that genteel party was given, for it will be remembered that Poole had been Jas- per's confidant in that adventurer's former designs upon Mrs. Haughton; and if Jasper knew that Poole had made her ac- quaintance, might he not insist upon Poole's reintroducing him as a visiting acquaintance?) " A very genteel party," repeated Poole. " I made a point of being presented to Mr. Darrell, and very polite he was at first."
"Curse his politeness—get to the point."
"I sounded my way very carefully, as you may suppose; and when I had got him into friendly chat, you understand, I began. Ah! my poor Losel}'^, nothing to be done there—he flew off in a tangent—as much as desired me to mind my own business, and hold my tongue; and upon my life, I don't think there is a chance for you in that quarter."
"Very well—we shall see. Next, have you taken any steps to find out the girl, my daughter.?"
"I have, I assure you. But you give me so slight a clew. Are you quite sure she is not in America after all .-'"
"I have told you before that that story about America was all bosh! a stratagem of the old gentleman's to deceive me. Poor old man," continued Jasper, in a tone that positively betrayed feeling—" I don't wonder that he dreads and flies me; yet I would not hurt him more than I have done, even to be as well off as you are—blinking at me from your mahogany perch like a pet owl with its crop full of mice. And if I would take the girl from him, it is for her own good. For if Darrell could be got to make a provision on her, and, through her, on myself, why, of course, the old man should share the benefit of it. And now that these infernal pains often keep me awake half the night, I can't always shut out the idea of that old man wander- ing about the world, and dying in a ditch. And that runaway girl—to whom I dare swear, he would give his last crumb of bread—ought to be an annuity to us both. Basta, basta! As to the American story—I had a friend at Paris, who went to America on a speculation; I asked him to inquire about this William Waife and his grand-daughter Sophy, who were said to have sailed for New York nearly five years ago, and he saw the very persons—settled in New York—no longer under the name of Waife, but their true name of Simpson, and got out from the man that they had been induced to take their passage from Eng- land in the name of Waife, at the request of a person whom the man would not give up, but to whom he said he was under obli- gations. Perhaps the old gentleman had done the fellow a kind turn in early life. The description of this soi disant Waife and his grandchild settles the matter; wholly unlike those I seek; so that there is every reason to suppose they must still be in England, and it is your business to find them. Continue your search—quicken your wits—let me be better pleased with your success when I call again this day week—and meanwhile four pounds, if you please—as much more as you like."
"Why, I gave you four pounds the other day, besides six pounds for clothes; it can't be gone."
"Every penny."
"Dear, dear! can't you maintain yourself anyhow? Can't you get any one to play at cards? Four pounds! Why, with your talent for whist, four pounds is a capital!"
"Whom can I play with? Whom can I herd with?—Cracks- men and pickpockets. Fit me out; ask me to your own house; in vite your own friends; make up a rubber, and you will then see what I can do with four pounds; and may go shares if you like, as we used to do."
"Don't talk so loud. Losely, you know very well that what you ask is impossible. I've turned over a new leaf."
"But I've still got your handwriting on the old leaf."
"What's the good of these stupid threats? If you really wanted to do me a mischief, where could you go to, and who'd believe you?"
"I fancy your wife would. I'll try. Hillo—"
"Stop—stop—stop. No row, here. Sir. No scandal. Hold your tongue, or I'll send for the police."
"Do! Nothing I should like better. I'm tired out. I want to tell my own story at the Old Bailey, and have my revenge upon you, upon Darrell, upon all. Send for the police."
Losely threw himself at length on the sofa—(new morocco, with spring cushions)—and folded his arms.
"You could only give me five minutes—they are gone, I fear. I am liberal. I give you your own time to consider. I don't care if I stay to dine; I dare say Mrs. Poole will excuse my dress."
"Losely, you are such a—fellow! If I do give you the four pounds you ask, will you promise to shift for yourself somehow, and molest me no more?"
"Certainly not. I shall come once every week for the same sum. I can't live upon less—until—"
"Until what?"
"Until either you get Mr. Darrell to settle on me a suitable provision, or until you place me in possession of my daughter. and I can then be in a better condition to treat with him myself; for if I would make a claim on account of the girl, I must pro- duce the girl, or he may say she is dead. Besides, if she be as pretty as she was when a child, the very sight of her might move him more than all my talk."
"And if I succeed in doing any thing with Mr. Darrell, or discovering your daughter, you will give up all such letters and documents of mine as you say you possess?"
"'Say—I possess!' I have shown them to you in this pocketbook. Dolly Poole—your own proposition to rob old Latham's safe."
Poole eyed the book, which the ruffian took out and tapped. Had the ruffian been a slighter man, Poole would have been a braver one. As it was—he eyed and groaned. "Turn against one's old crony! So unhandsome, so unlike what I thought you were!"
"It is you who would turn against me. But stick to Darrell, or find me my daughter, and help her and me to get justice out of him; and you shall not only have back these letters, but I'll pay you handsomely—handsomely, Dolly Poole. Zooks, Sir—I am fallen—but I am always a gentleman."
Therewith Losely gave a vehement slap to his hat, which, crushed by the stroke, improved his general appearance into an aspect so outrageously raffish, that but for the expression of his countenance the contrast between the boast and the man would have been ludicrous even to Mr. Poole. The countenance was too dark to permit laughter. In the dress, but the ruin of fortune—in the face, the ruin of man.
Poole heaved a deep sigh, and extended four sovereigns. Losely rose and took them carelessly. "This day week," he said—shook himself—and went his way.