Volume Ii Part 6 (2/2)
”Not precisely, Dinah,--not exactly this. Here are his words: 'I am well aware that I am much older than Miss Barrington, and it is simply to ascertain from herself if, in that disparity of years, there exists that disparity of tastes and temper which would indispose her to regard me as one to whom she would intrust her happiness. I hope to do this without any offence to her delicacy, though not without peril to my own self-love. Have I your leave for this experiment?'”
”Who is he? Who are his friends, connections, belongings? What is his station independently of his military rank, and what are his means? Can you answer these questions?”
”Not one of them. I never found myself till to-day in a position to inquire after them.”
”Let us begin, then, by that investigation, Peter. There is no such test of a man as to make him talk of himself. With you alone the matter, perhaps, would not present much difficulty to him, but I intend that Mr.
Withering's name and my own shall be on the committee; and, take _my_ word for it, we shall sift the evidence carefully.”
”Bear in mind, sister Dinah, that this gentleman is, first of all, our guest.”
”The first of all that I mean to bear in mind is, that he desires to be your grandson.”
”Of course,--of course. I would only observe on the reserve that should be maintained towards one who honors us with his presence.”
”Peter Barrington, the Arabs, from whom you seem to borrow your notions on hospitality, seldom scruple about cutting a guest's head off when he pa.s.ses the threshold; therefore I would advise you to adopt habits that may be more suited to the land we live in.”
”All I know is,” said Barrington, rising and pacing the room, ”that I could no more put a gentleman under my roof to the question as to his father and mother and his fortune, than I could rifle his writing-desk and read his letters.”
”Brother Peter, the weakness of your disposition has cost you one of the finest estates in your country, and if it could be restored to you to-morrow, the same imbecility would forfeit it again. I will, however, take the matter into my own hands.”
”With Withering, I suppose, to a.s.sist you?”
”Certainly not. I am perfectly competent to make any inquiry I deem requisite without a legal adviser. Perhaps, were I to be so accompanied, Major Stapylton would suppose that he, too, should appear with his lawyer.”
Barrington smiled faintly at the dry jest, but said nothing.
”I see,” resumed she, ”that you are very much afraid about my want of tact and delicacy in this investigation. It is a somewhat common belief amongst men that in all matters of business women err on the score of hardness and persistence. I have listened to some edifying homilies from your friend Withering on female incredulity and so forth,--reproaches which will cease to apply when men shall condescend to treat us as creatures accessible to reason, and not as mere dupes. See who is knocking at the door, Peter,” added she, sharply. ”I declare it recalls the old days of our innkeeping, and Darby asking for the bill of the lame gentleman in No. 4.”
”Upon my life, they were pleasant days, too,” said Barrington, but in a tone so low as to be unheard by his sister.
”May I come in?” said Withering, as he opened the door a few inches, and peeped inside. ”I want to show you a note I have just had from Kinshela, in Kilkenny.”
”Yes, yes; come in,” said Miss Barrington. ”I only wish you had arrived a little earlier. What is your note about?”
”It's very short and very purpose-like. The first of it is all about Brazier's costs, which it seems the taxing-officer thinks fair and reasonable,--all excepting that charge for the additional affidavits.
But here is what I want to show you. 'Major M'Cormick, of M'Cormick's Grove, has just been here; and although I am not ent.i.tled to say as much officially on his part, I entertain no doubt whatever but that he is ready to advance the money we require. I spoke of fifteen hundred, but said twelve might possibly be taken, and twelve would be, I imagine, his limit, since he held to this amount in all our conversation afterwards.
He appears to be a man of strange and eccentric habits, and these will probably be deemed a sufficient excuse for the singular turn our interview took towards its conclusion. I was speaking of Mr.
Barrington's wish for the insertion in the deed of a definite period for redemption, and he stopped me hastily with, ”What if we could strike out another arrangement? What if he was to make a settlement of the place on his granddaughter? I am not too old to marry, and I 'd give him the money at five per cent.” I have been careful to give you the very expressions he employed, and of which I made a note when he left the office; for although fully aware how improper it would be in me to submit this proposal to Mr. Barrington, I have felt it my duty to put you in possession of all that has pa.s.sed between us.'”
”How can you laugh, Peter Barrington?--how is it possible you can laugh at such an insult,--such an outrage as this? Go on, sir,” said she, turning to Withering; ”let us hear it to the end, for nothing worse can remain behind.”
”There is no more; at least, there is not anything worth hearing.
Kinshela winds up with many apologies, and hopes that I will only use his communication for my own guidance, and not permit it in any case to prejudice him in your estimation.” As he spoke, he crumpled up the note in his hand in some confusion.
”Who thinks of Mr. Kinshela, or wants to think of him, in the matter?”
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