Part 48 (1/2)

'Yes; Sharpe must be worth his quarter of a million. And he has made it in such a deuced short time!'

'Why, he is not much older than we are!'

'Ten years ago that man was a prizefighter,' said Lord Catchimwhocan.

'A prizefighter!' exclaimed Ferdinand.

'Yes; and licked everybody. But he was too great a genius for the ring, and took to the turf.'

'Ah!'

'Then he set up a h.e.l.l.'

'Hum!'

'And then he turned it into a subscription-house.'

'Hoh!'

'He keeps his h.e.l.l still, but it works itself now. In the mean time he is the first usurer in the world, and will be in the next Parliament.'

'But if he lends money on the terms he accommodates me, he will hardly increase his fortune.'

'Oh! he can do the thing when he likes. He took a fancy to you. The fact is, my dear fellow, Sharpe is very rich and wants to get into society.

He likes to oblige young men of distinction, and can afford to risk a few thousands now and then. By dining with him to-day you have quite repaid him for his loan. Besides, the fellow has a great soul; and, though born on a dung-hill, nature intended him for a palace, and he has placed himself there.'

'Well, this has been a remarkable morning,' said Ferdinand Armine, as Lord Catchimwhocan set him down at his club. 'I am very much obliged to you, dear Catch!'

'Not a word, my dear fellow. You have helped me before this, and glad am I to be the means of a.s.sisting the best fellow in the world, and that we all think you. _Au revoir!_ We dine at eight.'

CHAPTER XII.

_Miss Grandison Makes a Remarkable Discovery_.

IN THE mean time, while the gloomy morning which Ferdinand had antic.i.p.ated terminated with so agreeable an adventure, Henrietta and Miss Grandison, accompanied by Lord Montfort and Glas...o...b..ry, paid their promised visit to the British Museum.

'I am sorry that Captain Armine could not accompany us,' said Lord Montfort. 'I sent to him this morning early, but he was already out.'

'He has many affairs to attend to,' said Glas...o...b..ry.

Miss Temple looked grave; she thought of poor Ferdinand and all his cares. She knew well what were those affairs to which Glas...o...b..ry alluded. The thought that perhaps at this moment he was struggling with rapacious creditors made her melancholy. The novelty and strangeness of the objects which awaited her, diverted, however, her mind from these painful reflections. Miss Grandison, who had never quitted England, was delighted with everything she saw; but the Egyptian gallery princ.i.p.ally attracted the attention of Miss Temple. Lord Montfort, regardful of his promise to Henrietta, was very attentive to Miss Grandison.

'I cannot help regretting that your cousin is not here,' said his lords.h.i.+p, returning to a key that he had already touched. But Katherine made no answer.

'He seemed so much better for the exertion he made yesterday,' resumed Lord Montfort. 'I think it would do him good to be more with us.'

'He seems to like to be alone,' said Katherine.

'I wonder at that,' said Lord Montfort; 'I cannot conceive a happier life than we all lead.'