The Duke's Sweetheart: A Romance. Dowling Richard

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      "'While De Montmorency was engaged in making his toasting-fork, Belmore, attracted by the unfamiliar blaze and glow in that chill room, drew the soap-box to the fire, and sat down to enjoy the heat.

      "'Nothing ages a man more quickly than cold and hunger, and as Belmore sat before the mounting flames he looked seventy.

      "'"There is no fender," said De Montmorency; "but I'll tell you what we'll do. We'll put the tea-pot down on the ground, take the lid off, and put a saucer on the top of the teapot. That will make a capital gravy-dish to catch the rich nectar from the rashers.'

      "'All this time Belmore never moved or spoke. With his thin hands hanging down over big knees, he simply gave himself to the animal enjoyment of warmth, a pleasure he had not known for a long time.

      "'At last the toasting began; and now, for the first time, the attention of Belmore was withdrawn from the fire to be concentrated on the food. He had tasted food since he had felt the heat of a fire, but that food had been the simplest and most scanty. Convicts would have mutinied if they had been kept on such a scale as the poor gentleman had been obliged to adopt for a month; that is, if convicts, after a month of such diet, would have had strength enough to lift up their hands in menace.

      "'At length the first piece of bacon was toasted. With a large pocket-knife De Montmorency cut off a slice of bread from a loaf, which had formed one of the parcels he had brought in; and having placed this on the chair-table, he removed everything else. Then he took up the saucer from the fire and put that on the table, and dropped the hissing crisp bacon into the rich straw-coloured gravy. He poured some gin out of the bottle into a cup, and added water from a jug.

      "'"You go on and eat now," the visitor said; "I'll cook and serve, and will naturally wait. I'll make a gravy-dish of a slice of bread this time. You don't object to a slice of bread soaked in red-hot dripping of toasted bacon? Of course you don't. I should like to see the man with a wholesome appetite who did. Pretend the bacon is fish, and that we have lent our fish-forks to the bishop who lives on the landing below this, and that you have to eat your fish with a fork and a piece of bread, and then all you've got to do is to fancy my knife is an old-fashioned fork, and there is nothing more to be desired."

      "'As Belmore had cut off the first piece of bacon and was raising it to his lips, someone knocked at the door. Belmore put down the bit untasted, and said, in a tremulous voice: "De Montmorency, will you ask him to leave me in peace, or tell me I must go? Ask him to spare me or send me away."

      "'De Montmorency opened the door softly and looked out.

      "'"Is Mr. Belmore in?" asked a very low voice.

      "'"Yes," answered De Montmorency. "May I ask what is the nature of your business?" – he kept the door partly closed so that the man outside could not see in-"because Mr. Belmore is engaged at present."

      "'"I want to see him on very particular business indeed."

      "'"Of what nature?"

      "'"Well, I am a lawyer."

      "'"If it is anything about the rent," said Belmore, "I am willing to go, but I cannot pay; nor do I think I shall be able to pay next week."

      "'"As Mr. Belmore has spoken of paying rent, I may as well tell you at once that I am in a position to say he can pay it now."

      "'"No, no, no!" cried the poor gentleman; "I really haven't any money."

      "'"But I will pay it for him, with the greatest pleasure. I have very good news for Mr. Belmore, if I may see him."

      "'"Good news?" repeated De Montmorency. "Did I understand you to say you have good news for Mr. Belmore?"

      "'"Unquestionably. Very good news indeed."

      "'"As Mr. Belmore is very particularly engaged at present, would it not be better if he called upon you at your office in half an hour?"

      "'"Yes, that will suit admirably. You are a friend of Mr. Belmore?"

      "'"Oh yes; I think I may say I am."

      "'"Then will you allow me the privilege of a few moments' conversation with you, sir?"

      "'"Certainly." And De Montmorency went out on the landing and closed the door.

      "'He found there a tall stoutish man of middle age and very dark complexion. The stranger moved a few paces from the door, and then spoke in a very low, confidential, and friendly voice. "My name is Jackson. I am senior partner of the firm of Jackson and Connington, Lothbury. You are a friend of Mr. Belmore?"

      "'"Yes; I think his only friend."

      "'"I am glad to have this opportunity of having a little chat with you, for the news I have for him is not only good, but so astoundingly good that we must break it to him gently. I will not now trouble you further than to ask you if you can tell me who Mr. Antony Belmore's father was, and where and when was Mr. Belmore born? We know all about it. I ask the question merely to put all doubt of his identity out of the way finally."

      "'"Mr. Belmore-whom I have known since we were boys, and whose father I also knew-is the only son of George Belmore, of Berley, in Lincolnshire. I think Mr. Belmore is about fifty years of age."

      "'"All right, all right! You may break to him as gently as you can that he has fallen into an exceedingly good thing. Our firm has just found out he is heir to a fine estate. You will, I trust, excuse me for having taken the liberty of bringing this with me: but we thought it possible Mr. Belmore might want a little money before he opens his own banking account to-morrow or the day after. You will, I think, find fifty in notes and fifty in gold here."

      "'"Thank you very much, I'm sure. It was very thoughtful of you to bring this. Would it put you to any inconvenience if we did not call upon you for a couple of hours instead of half an hour? Some of this" – he held up the money-"might in the meantime be usefully employed."

      "'He touched his coat with his other hand.

      "'"Oh, I understand," said the lawyer with a sympathetic look towards the door, behind which the poor gentleman concealed his poverty. "Let it be two hours. That will be-let me see-five o'clock. Good-day."

      "'"Good-day," said De Montmorency, dropping the money into his trousers pocket. "The shock of knowing he had fallen into even a hundred pounds would be too great now."

      "'He re-entered the room. "It was really good news, after all-I don't know how good yet; but, anyway, 'tis good enough for him to give me some money for you on account."

      "'"Did he give you enough to pay Watkins?"

      "'"How much is that?"

      "'"One pound eighteen and sixpence."

      "'"Oh, yes. He gave me five pounds. Here you are. Come now, and put on your hat. You see this lawyer believes in your luck, or he wouldn't put down his money without even being asked."

      "'"And do you, too, believe there is some good luck in store for me?"

      "'"Most emphatically."

      "'"Then I'll go and pay Watkins, and never come back again."

      "'"You must send for those things."

      "'"Those wretched things! Why should I send for them? They would only bring up many of my cruellest memories."

      "'"Ay, СКАЧАТЬ