Part 72 (1/2)
”Well, there is a good deal of her,” said Miss Payne, with a sniff.
”Not too much for Mr. Errington, I think,” exclaimed Mrs. Needham with a knowing smile. ”I fancy that will be a match before the season is over.
It will be a capital thing for Errington. Old Bradley is _im_-mensely rich, and I am sure Errington is far gone. Well, good-night, my dear Miss Payne. I am so glad to think I shall have Miss Liddell for a little while, at all events. You will come the day after to-morrow at ten, won't you, and help me to regulate some of my papers? Good-night, my dear, good-night.”
Mr. Newton came into his office the afternoon the day following Mrs.
Needham's little dinner. His step was alert and his head erect, as though he was satisfied with himself and the world. A boy who sat in a box near the door, to make a note of the flies walking into the spider's parlor, darted out, saying, ”Please sir, Miss Liddell is waiting for you.”
”Is she? Very well.” And the old lawyer went quickly along the pa.s.sage leading to the other rooms, and opening the door of his own, found Katherine sitting by the table, a newspaper, which had evidently dropped from her hand, lying by her on the carpet. She started up to meet her good friend, who was struck by her pallor and the sad look in her eyes.
”Well, this is lucky!” exclaimed Newton, shaking hands with her cordially. ”I was going to write to you, as I wanted to see you, and here you are.”
”I was just beginning to fear I might be troublesome, but I have been so anxious.”
”Of course you have. And you have been very patient, on the whole.
Well”--laying aside his hat, and rubbing his hands as he sat down--”I have just come from consulting with Messrs. Compton, and I am very happy to tell you it is agreed that George Liddell shall withdraw his claim to the arrears of income, but not to the savings you have effected since your succession to the property, also the balance standing to your name at your banker's is not to be interfered with; so I think things are arranging themselves more favorably, on the whole, than I could have hoped.”
”They are, indeed,” cried Katherine, clasping her hands together in thankfulness. ”What an immense relief! I have more than three hundred pounds in the bank, and I have found employment for the present at least, so I can use my little income for the boys. How can I thank you, dear Mr. Newton, for all the trouble you have taken for me?” And she took his hard, wrinkled hand, pressing it between both hers, and looking with sweet loving eyes into his.
”I am sure I was quite ready to take any trouble for you, my dear young lady; but in this matter Mr. Errington has done most of the work. He has gained a surprising degree of influence over your cousin, who is a very curious customer; but for him (Mr. Errington, I mean), I fear he would have insisted on his full rights, which would have been a bad business.
However, that is over now. Nor will Mr. Liddell fare badly. Your savings have added close on three thousand pounds to the property which falls to him. I am surprised that he did not try at once to make friends with you, for his little girl's sake. I hear he is in treaty for a grand mansion in one of the new streets they are building over at South Kensington. He is tremendously fond of this little girl of his. It seems Liddell was awfully cut up at the death of his wife, about a year and a half ago. He fancies that if he had known of his father's death and his own succession he would have come home, and the voyage would have saved her life. This, I rather think, was at the root of his rancor against you.”
”How unjust! how unreasonable!” cried Katherine. ”Now tell me of your interview with Mrs. Ormonde and her husband.”
”Well--ah--it was not a very agreeable half-hour. I have seldom seen so barefaced an exhibition of selfishness. However, I think I brought them to their senses, certainly Mrs. Ormonde, and I am determined to make that fellow Ormonde pay something toward the education of his wife's sons.”
”I would rather not have it,” said Katherine.
”Nonsense,” cried the lawyer, sharply. ”You or they are ent.i.tled to it, and you shall have it. Mrs. Ormonde evidently does not want to quarrel with you, nor is it well for the boys' sake to be at loggerheads with their mother.”
”No, certainly not; but, Mr. Newton, I can never be the same to her again. I never can forgive her or her husband's ingrat.i.tude and want of feeling.”
”Of course not, and they know you will not; still, an open split is to be avoided. Now, tell me, what is the employment you mentioned?”
Katherine told him, and a long confidential conversation ensued, wherein she explained her views and intentions, and listened to her old friend's good advice. Certain communication to Mrs. Ormonde were decided on, as Katherine agreed with Mr. Newton that she should have no further personal intercourse concerning business matters with her sister-in-law.
”By-the-way,” said Newton, ”one of the events of the last few days was a visit from your protegee, Miss Trant. I was a good deal struck with her.
She is a pretty, delicate-looking girl, yet she's as hard as nails, and a first-rate woman of business. She seems determined to make your fortune, for that is just the human touch about her that interested me.
She doesn't talk about it, but her profound grat.i.tude to you is evidently her ruling motive. I am so persuaded that she will develop a good business, and that you will ultimately get a high percentage for the money you have advanced--or, as you thought, almost given--that I am going to trust her with a little of mine, just to keep the concern free of debt till it is safely floated.”
”How very good of you!” cried Katherine. ”And what a proof of your faith in my friend! How can you call her hard? To me she is most sympathetic.”
”Ay, to you. Then you see she seems to have devoted herself to you. To me she turned a very hard bit of her sh.e.l.l. No matter. I think she is the sort of woman to succeed. You have not seen her since--since her visit to me?”
”No. I have not been to see her because--not because I was busy, but idle and depressed. I will not be so any more. So many friends have been true and helpful to me that I should be ashamed of feeling depressed. I will endeavor to prove myself a first-rate secretary, and be a credit to you, my dear good friend.”
”That you will always be, I'm sure,” returned Newton, warmly.