The Duke's Sweetheart: A Romance. Dowling Richard

Чтение книги онлайн.

СКАЧАТЬ but you mustn't leave them here; you must take them away, if you only burn them. Suppose you are to turn out very lucky? Suppose you are the real King of Burmah; then, of course, these things will be bought up, and exhibited as curiosities. But come, put on your hat. We won't waste time with Watkins. Come out, and we will have something better in the form of luncheon than we were just about to eat. I have arranged with the lawyer that we need not call upon him for a couple of hours.

      "'"Belmore had eaten the slice of bread and rasher. He had drunk a little of the gin, too, and had already begun to revive. Casting a look down at his wretched clothes, he said:

      "'"De Montmorency, it was very good of you to prevent the lawyer seeing how things are here. But I am not much better off now. I am scarcely in a plight to call upon this gentleman."

      "'"That will be all right. Suppose he gave me ten instead of five pounds for you? You can get all you want. Finish your gin, and I'll have some, and then we will go."

      "'In a few minutes they were in Holborn. De Montmorency took Belmore into a ready-made clothing shop, and got him a suit of clothes, an ulster, and a hat. They came out, and then got boots and gloves. After this, De Montmorency surveyed his friend from top to toe, and muttered with a sigh:

      "'"You'll do. Now let us go and have a good solid meal somewhere. But stay. Ask me to dine or lunch with you, Belmore; for you are the financier. I am only your agent."

      "'"Where shall we go, De Montmorency?"

      "'"To The Holborn."

      "'"But I am afraid you have already spent more than the lawyer gave you."

      "'"Let us go to The Holborn, by all means. As to money, that lawyer gave me a hundred pounds, not ten; and now here is the balance in gold, notes, silver, and copper."

      "'"A hundred pounds! It must be good luck, indeed, when he gave you a hundred pounds! Why, this morning I should have thought ten pounds miraculous luck, and here now am I getting a hundred on account! De Montmorency, it must be wonderful luck!"

      "'They went to The Holborn, and had a substantial luncheon, and a bottle of burgundy between them. Belmore paid the, bill, and gave the waiter half-a-crown. He said "Thank you, sir. Very much obliged, indeed;" and flew for Belmore's ulster as though Satan were at his heels.

      "'When they got into the street, Belmore called a hansom, and told the man to drive to Jackson and Connington, Lothbury. As soon as the cab drew up, De Montmorency said:

      "'"I'll wait for you in the cab. I'll ask the driver to let down the glass, and I shall be all right and comfortable."

      "'"But won't you come up with me?"

      "'"No, I think it better not, I am almost sure the lawyers do not want me, and I should not like to feel that, if I went up. I shall be quite comfortable. Run away now, Belmore, and hurry back and tell me you are the real King of Burmah."

      "'Belmore did not care to force him against his wish; so he stepped out of the cab and walked into the house and upstairs.

      "'He had been gone about half an hour, when a man dashed out of that door and rushed at the hansom, crying:

      "'"Engaged?"

      "'"Yes, sir."

      "'"By whom?"

      "'"Tall gentleman in ulster coat-gone upstairs half an hour ago."

      "'"All right! You'll do! He's taken suddenly ill, and I want you to drive me for a doctor. The job is a sovereign, remember!"

      "'"But there's a gentleman inside."

      "'"De Montmorency knocked at the glass, and the driver drew it up. De Montmorency said to the man on the pathway:

      "'"Mr. Belmore ill, did you say?"

      "'"Yes, sir; taken suddenly ill."

      "'De Montmorency leaped out, crying:

      "'"Jump in, jump in! I'll run up and see him."

      "'When he reached the room where Mr. Jackson and his partner stood, he found Belmore lying on a couch deadly white.

      "'"Mr. de Montmorency, this is my partner, Mr. Connington. Mr. Connington, this is Mr. de Montmorency, a friend of his Grace."

      "'"His Grace be-!" said De Montmorency. "I am a friend of Mr. Belmore. What's the matter with him?"

      "'"His Grace the Duke of Fenwick has fainted upon hearing the honours and wealth that have suddenly come upon him.'*

      "'"And who, in the name of Heaven, is His Grace the Duke of Fenwick?"

      "'"The person you knew as Mr. Antony Belmore is Duke of Fenwick, with a rent-roll of ninety thousand a year!"'"

      Here Cheyne finished reading, and throwing down the proofs, said:

      "Well, May, what do you think of it?"

      "Oh, I think it very clever indeed, only-only-"

      "Yes, my ungrateful and critical sweetheart?"

      "Only-only-doesn't everyone know who the heir to a dukedom is, like the heir to a kingdom?"

      "No; everyone knows nothing."

      "But doesn't the Duke himself know who his heir is? Or doesn't the House of Commons, or someone?"

      "Dukes know absolutely nothing at all, and the House of Commons knows less."

      While Charles Cheyne was reading chapter fifty-two in the little conservatory to his darling sprightly May, the Duke of Shropshire, having voted against the detested Radicals, was returning by express train to Silverview Castle, and Edward Graham was seated in front of the Beagle Inn, Anerly, painting the peaceful valley with Anerly Church in the near middle distance.

      CHAPTER V.

      UNDER ANERLY BRIDGE

      Although the view from the portico in front of the Beagle Inn at Anerly was very lovely, it would by no means make a good picture. It was too broad and monotonous and scattered. There was no composition in it. The pleasure derived from looking down that peaceful slope and valley was gained by glancing at it unconsciously from several points of view rather than from any particular one. If you fixed your eyes on the central or road line, no doubt you commanded Anerly Church and some fine trees and the wide plain below; but then there was no right-hand or left-hand frame to the picture, and the effect was insipid, if not distracting. If you looked through the trees you had the broad valley and the silver streak of stream; but you missed the church and the pine-clad slope which lent the romantic air to the whole scene.

      Edward Graham was not a great artist. He was one of those indolent men who study art no more than the study yields pleasure. He liked painting and artists, but preferred the society of artists to that of a lonely easel, a laborious sketch-book. He was a Bohemian born, not made. He loved art for what it brought him from without more than for any divine joy it aroused within. By fortune he was poor, and by nature idle. He did not like doing anything; but of all occupations that could bring him money he disliked painting least. Therefore he painted for his bread. If he had been rich-so much did he enjoy the atmosphere of art, and the companionship of those who follow art-he would have painted all the same, that he might be entitled to smoke pipes and discuss pictures with better painters than he. He was СКАЧАТЬ