Part 5 (2/2)
”Not for the world, Mr. Haw. Why, I should be a traitor to the whole village if I were to encourage such a scheme. The hill is the one thing which gives Tamfield the slightest individuality. It would be the height of selfishness to sacrifice it in order to improve the view from Elmdene.”
”It is a little box of a place this, Mr. Haw,” said old McIntyre. ”I should think you must feel quite stifled in it after your grand mansion, of which my son tells me such wonders. But we were not always accustomed to this sort of thing, Mr. Haw. Humble as I stand here, there was a time, and not so long ago, when I could write as many figures on a cheque as any gunmaker in Birmingham. It was--”
”He is a dear discontented old papa,” cried Laura, throwing her arm round him in a caressing manner. He gave a sharp squeak and a grimace of pain, which he endeavoured to hide by an outbreak of painfully artificial coughing.
”Shall we go upstairs?” said Robert hurriedly, anxious to divert his guest's attention from this little domestic incident. ”My studio is the real atelier, for it is right up under the tiles. I shall lead the way, if you will have the kindness to follow me.”
Leaving Laura and Mr. McIntyre, they went up together to the workroom.
Mr. Haw stood long in front of the ”Signing of Magna Charta,” and the ”Murder of Thomas a Becket,” s.c.r.e.w.i.n.g up his eyes and twitching nervously at his beard, while Robert stood by in anxious expectancy.
”And how much are these?” asked Raffles Haw at last.
”I priced them at a hundred apiece when I sent them to London.”
”Then the best I can wish you is that the day may come when you would gladly give ten times the sum to have them back again. I am sure that there are great possibilities in you, and I see that in grouping and in boldness of design you have already achieved much. But your drawing, if you will excuse my saying so, is just a little crude, and your colouring perhaps a trifle thin. Now, I will make a bargain with you, Mr.
McIntyre, if you will consent to it. I know that money has no charms for you, but still, as you said when I first met you, a man must live.
I shall buy these two canvases from you at the price which you name, subject to the condition that you may always have them back again by repaying the same sum.”
”You are really very kind.” Robert hardly knew whether to be delighted at having sold his pictures or humiliated at the frank criticism of the buyer.
”May I write a cheque at once?” said Raffles Haw. ”Here is pen and ink.
So! I shall send a couple of footmen down for them in the afternoon.
Well, I shall keep them in trust for you. I dare say that when you are famous they will be of value as specimens of your early manner.”
”I am sure that I am extremely obliged to you, Mr. Haw,” said the young artist, placing the cheque in his notebook. He glanced at it as he folded it up, in the vague hope that perhaps this man of whims had a.s.sessed his pictures at a higher rate than he had named. The figures, however, were exact. Robert began dimly to perceive that there were drawbacks as well as advantages to the reputation of a money-scorner, which he had gained by a few chance words, prompted rather by the reaction against his father's than by his own real convictions.
”I hope, Miss McIntyre,” said Raffles Haw, when they had descended to the sitting-room once more, ”that you will do me the honour of coming to see the little curiosities which I have gathered together. Your brother will, I am sure, escort you up; or perhaps Mr. McIntyre would care to come?”
”I shall be delighted to come, Mr. Haw,” cried Laura, with her sweetest smile. ”A good deal of my time just now is taken up in looking after the poor people, who find the cold weather very trying.” Robert raised his eyebrows, for it was the first he had heard of his sister's missions of mercy, but Mr. Raffles Haw nodded approvingly. ”Robert was telling us of your wonderful hot-houses. I am sure I wish I could transport the whole parish into one of them, and give them a good warm.”
”Nothing would be easier, but I am afraid that they might find it a little trying when they came out again. I have one house which is only just finished. Your brother has not seen it yet, but I think it is the best of them all. It represents an Indian jungle, and is hot enough in all conscience.”
”I shall so look forward to seeing it,” cried Laura, clasping her hands.
”It has been one of the dreams of my life to see India. I have read so much of it, the temples, the forests, the great rivers, and the tigers.
Why, you would hardly believe it, but I have never seen a tiger except in a picture.”
”That can easily be set right,” said Raffles Haw, with his quiet smile.
”Would you care to see one?”
”Oh, immensely.”
”I will have one sent down. Let me see, it is nearly twelve o'clock. I can get a wire to Liverpool by one. There is a man there who deals in such things. I should think he would be due to-morrow morning. Well, I shall look forward to seeing you all before very long. I have rather outstayed my time, for I am a man of routine, and I always put in a certain number of hours in my laboratory.” He shook hands cordially with them all, and lighting his pipe at the doorstep, strolled off upon his way.
”Well, what do you think of him now?” asked Robert, as they watched his black figure against the white snow.
<script>