Part 25 (1/2)

'”It's all gone--all gone,” he repeated. ”Man, why won't you believe? I tell you that everything is gone. Make me a bankrupt at once, and you will share with the creditors: oh! yes, you will be very lucky: you will divide between you the furniture of the counting-house and the empty casks on the Quay.”

'Then Mr. Probus began to curse and to swear, and to threaten. He would throw Mr. Matthew into prison and keep him there all his life: he would prosecute him at the Old Bailey: he called him thief, scoundrel, villain: Mr. Matthew laughed in his drunken mood. He would not explain how the money was lost: he only repeated that it was gone--all gone.

'Mr. Will--I know that he was speaking the truth. I had seen things done--you cannot hide things from an old accountant who keeps the books: cargoes sold at a sacrifice for ready money: s.h.i.+ps sold: our splendid fleet thrown away: there were six tall vessels in the West India trade: one was cast away: the underwriters paid for her. Where is that money?

Where are the other five s.h.i.+ps? Sold. Where is that money? Our coffers are empty: there is no running cash at the Bank: the wharf is deserted: clerks are dismissed: creditors are put off. I know that what Mr.

Matthew said was true: but for the life of me I cannot tell what he has done with the money unless he has thrown it into the river.

'Then I think that Mr. Matthew took more drink, for he made no more reply, and Mr. Probus, after calling him hog and beast and other names of like significance, left him.

'When he came out of the counting-house he was like one possessed of a devil: his face distorted: his eyes blood-shot: his lips moving: his hands trembling. Sir, although he is a villain I felt sorry for him. He has lost all that he cared for: all that he valued: and since he is now old, and can make no more money, he has lost perhaps his means of livelihood.'

Ramage paused. Alice brought him a gla.s.s of beer, her own home-brewed.

Thus refreshed, he presently went on again.

'After two days Probus came again to the counting-house. Mr. Matthew was sober.

'”Probus,” he said, ”I told you the other day when I was drunk what I should have kept from you if I was sober. However, now you know what I told you was the truth.”

'”Is it all true?”

'”It is all true. Everything is gone.”

'”But how--how--how?” I heard his lamentable cry and I could imagine his arm waving about.

'”This way and that way. Enough that it is all gone.”

'”Mr. Matthew,” I think he sat down because he groaned--which a man cannot do properly--that is to say movingly, unless he is sitting--”I have been thinking--Good G.o.d! of what else could I think? You can keep yourself afloat for three months more, you say--Heavens! Halliday Brothers to go in three months! And my money! Where--where--where has it gone?”

'”In about three months--or may be sooner, the end must come.”

'”Mr. Matthew,” he lowered his voice, ”there is one chance left--one chance--I may get back my money--by that one chance.”

'”What chance? The money is all gone.”

'”If we can make your cousin part with his chance of the succession, we can raise money on it before the bankruptcy--we can divide it between us.”

'”Put it out of your thoughts. My cousin is the most obstinate self-willed brute that ever lived. You couldn't bend him with the King's Bench Prison. You cannot bend him now.”

'”I will try again. He is still poor. He plays the fiddle at some wretched gardens I believe. He lives where he did before--I know where to find him. I will try again. If I succeed we could raise say 50,000 upon the succession, it should be more but you are both young. Let me see, that will be 40,000 for me; 6,000 interest due to me: that makes 46,000 for me and 4,000 for you.”

'”No, friend Probus. You have lent me 25,000. That you shall take and no more. If you are not content with that you shall have none. Remember that the money must be raised by me for my own use, not by you. Get him to sign if you can--and you shall have back all your money, but without any interest. If you think you are going to get all this money for yourself, let me tell you that you are mistaken.”

'Mr. Matthew can be as hard as--as your father, sometimes. He was hard now. Well, the pair wrangled over these terms for a long time. At last it was arranged that if Mr. Probus can persuade you to sign the paper which he is to bring you he is to take 25,000 and interest on that and not on the alleged 40,000, at 15 per cent. And Mr. Matthew is to pay you the sum required to buy out. When they had completed this arrangement Mr. Probus started another line of discourse. Now listen to this, Mr. Will, because it concerns you very closely.

'”If,” he said, ”your cousin were to die--actually to die----”

'”He won't die. I wish he would.”

'”I said--If he were to die--you would then immediately take over 100,000 together with the interest at 5 per cent. already acc.u.mulated for three years, namely, about 115,000. That would put all square again. You could get back some of your s.h.i.+ps and your credit.”