Part 2 (2/2)

At midday came another card from Mr. Van Diemen Smith bearing the superscription: alias Phil R.

”Can it be possible,” Tinman asked his sister, ”that Philip Ribstone has had the audacity to return to this country? I think,” he added, ”I am right in treating whoever sends me this card as a counterfeit.”

Martha's advice was, that he should take no notice of the card.

”I am seriously engaged,” said Tinman. With a ”Now then, dear,” he resumed his labours.

Messages had pa.s.sed between Tinman and Phippun; and in the afternoon Phippun appeared to broach the question of payment for the chiwal-gla.s.s.

He had seen Mr. Van Diemen Smith, had found him very strange, rather impracticable. He was obliged to tell Tinman that he must hold him responsible for the gla.s.s; nor could he send a second until payment was made for the first. It really seemed as if Tinman would be compelled, by the force of circ.u.mstances, to go and shake his old friend by the hand.

Otherwise one could clearly see the man might be off: he might be off at any minute, leaving a legal contention behind him. On the other hand, supposing he had come to Crikswich for a.s.sistance in money? Friends.h.i.+p is a good thing, and so is hospitality, which is an essentially English thing, and consequently one that it behoves an Englishman to think it his duty to perform, but we do not extend it to paupers. But should a pauper get so close to us as to lay hold of us, vowing he was once our friend, how shake him loose? Tinman foresaw that it might be a matter of five pounds thrown to the dogs, perhaps ten, counting the gla.s.s. He put on his hat, full of melancholy presentiments; and it was exactly half-past five o'clock of the spring afternoon when he knocked at Crickledon's door.

Had he looked into Crickledon's shop as he went by, he would have perceived Van Diemen Smith astride a piece of timber, smoking a pipe.

Van Diemen saw Tinman. His eyes c.o.c.ked and watered. It is a disgraceful fact to record of him without periphrasis. In truth, the bearded fellow was almost a woman at heart, and had come from the Antipodes throbbing to slap Martin Tinman on the back, squeeze his hand, run over England with him, treat him, and talk of old times in the presence of a trotting regiment of champagne. That affair of the chiwal-gla.s.s had temporarily damped his enthusiasm. The absence of a reply to his double transmission of cards had wounded him; and something in the look of Tinman disgusted his rough taste. But the well-known features recalled the days of youth.

Tinman was his one living link to the country he admired as the conqueror of the world, and imaginatively delighted in as the seat of pleasures, and he could not discard the feeling of some love for Tinman without losing his grasp of the reason why, he had longed so fervently and travelled so breathlessly to return hither. In the days of their youth, Van Diemen had been Tinman's cordial spirit, at whom he sipped for cheerful visions of life, and a good honest glow of emotion now and then.

Whether it was odd or not that the sipper should be oblivious, and the cordial spirit heartily reminiscent of those times, we will not stay to inquire.

Their meeting took place in Crickledon's shop. Tinman was led in by Mrs.

Crickledon. His voice made a sound of metal in his throat, and his air was that of a man b.u.t.toned up to the palate, as he read from the card, glancing over his eyelids, ”Mr. Van Diemen Smith, I believe.”

”Phil Ribstone, if you like,” said the other, without rising.

”Oh, ah, indeed!” Tinman temperately coughed.

”Yes, dear me. So it is. It strikes you as odd?”

”The change of name,” said Tinman.

”Not nature, though!”

”Ah! Have you been long in England?”

”Time to run to Helmstone, and on here. You've been lucky in business, I hear.”

”Thank you; as things go. Do you think of remaining in England?”

”I've got to settle about a gla.s.s I broke last night.”

”Ah! I have heard of it. Yes, I fear there will have to be a settlement.”

”I shall pay half of the damage. You'll have to stump up your part.”

Van Diemen smiled roguishly.

”We must discuss that,” said Tinman, smiling too, as a patient in bed may smile at a doctor's joke; for he was, as Crickledon had said of him, no fool on practical points, and Van Diemen's mention of the half-payment rea.s.sured him as to his old friend's position in the world, and softly thawed him. ”Will you dine with me to-day?”

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