Part 36 (2/2)

”Your husband vowed that he wouldn't give in to them. But I told him, from the first, that he hadn't a leg to stand on.”

”I'll persuade him not to go to law about it.”

”Yes, I'm sure it will be best to settle the wrangle. You see, he took such a high tone with them that they've turned nasty--talk big about obtaining goods under false pretences, and so on. But that's bl.u.s.ter--they'll be glad enough to get their money.”

She remembered her thoughts in church. It was hopeless. He kept her in the dark. No business could stand it--the double attack: bleeding and buffeting at the same time. He would destroy their credit too; these continual blunders and the attempts to repudiate obligations would become known; and the firm would acquire a bad name.

”Don't look so grave, my dear. Your husband must pay up, and make the best of it.... And now for my _bonne bouche_.” Mr. Prentice's eyes twinkled with kindly merriment; and he spoke slowly, in immense enjoyment of his words. ”This is something from which you cannot fail to derive benefit. It is what I have always been hoping for. It will altogether relieve the pressure.”

”What is it?”

”Well--immediately facing you there is a large and flouris.h.i.+ng organization, known to the world as--”

”O, Mr. Prentice!” Her face had brightened, but now it clouded once more. ”Don't say you are going to tell me again that Bence is smas.h.i.+ng.”

”Yes, my dear, I am. A most tremendous smas.h.!.+”

And Mr. Prentice repeated the old story in a slightly altered form.

According to his certain knowledge, Archibald Bence was vainly striving to raise money--was moving heaven and earth to obtain even a comparatively small sum. About a year ago, one of Bence's bad brothers had been bought out of the business; then the other brother died, and Bence was compelled to satisfy the claims of the widow and children; and since that period he had been drawing nearer and nearer to his catastrophe. Now he was done for, unless he could get some capital to replace what had been taken from him. For years he had been working with the finest possible margin of cash to support his credit. At last he had cut it too fine. The wholesale trade were tired of the risk they had run in dealing with him. They would not supply him any further, unless he showed them first his penny for each reel of cotton or yard of tape.

”But what makes you believe all this?”

”I am not free to mention the sources of my information. There is such a thing as backstairs knowledge.”

Mr. Prentice nodded his head, and smiled enigmatically, as he said this.

Then he went on to speak of the solicitors who acted for Bence. Messrs.

Hyde & Collins were held in supreme contempt by old-fas.h.i.+oned Mr.

Prentice. They were--as he never scrupled to say--sharp pract.i.tioners, shady beggars, dirty dogs; and at the offices in the side street that gives entrance to Trinity Square, they looked after the dubious affairs of a lot of shabby clients. It was a bad sign when a Mallingbridge citizen went to Hyde & Collins: it meant that his finances were shaky, or that he had become involved in some disreputable transaction.

”It was enough for me,” said Mr. Prentice, ”to know that Bence was in their hands. I guessed six years ago what would come of it.”

”Yes, but guesses, guesses! What are guesses?”

”My dear, you have only to _look_ at Bence now. It is written in his face--a desperate man.”

And Mr. Prentice reminded Mrs. Marsden of the fact that from his office windows he had an uninterrupted view down the side street to the front door of Hyde & Collins. Well, every day, and two or three times a day, Archibald Bence could be seen hurrying to his solicitors--a man driven by despair, a gold-seeker amidst unyielding rocks, a poor famished little rat scampering to and fro in quest of food.

”Of course,” said Mr. Prentice, with a touch of pity in his voice, ”it's his brothers who have done for him. They have literally sucked him dry.

Really, if it wasn't for _you_, I could almost feel sorry for him. But the dirty tricks he has played you put him out of court.”

”I wonder,” said Mrs. Marsden, thoughtfully looking into the fire.

”Don't wonder,” said Mr. Prentice jovially. ”Just wait and see. You won't have long to wait.”

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