Part 24 (2/2)
”Bravo!” she responded, clapping her hands. ”Your aunt shows her sense for once in her life, though one would have to be blind as a mole not to see that this is one chance in a thousand.”
”What should you say to asking her down here for a few days?”
”Certainly, dear. She doesn't know any one, to be sure, and would probably dress like an antediluvian. But people wouldn't think any thing of that, if it was whispered around that she is literary and peculiar. I think on the whole it would be a good plan to ask her. I can give her a few ideas as to how a n.o.bleman should be handled.”
”Precisely,” I answered.
Accordingly, Aunt Helen and I each wrote a most urgent letter of invitation; and after some further correspondence, my efforts were rewarded with the presence in my house of my father's sister. For the first twenty-four hours, despite my cordial welcome, I feared every moment lest she should announce her intention of going home again. Her manner was so stiff, and Aunt Helen's so airy, that I was apprehensive of a catastrophe. But at last by the display of tact, and by carefully humoring their respective prejudices, I drew them gradually together; and when at last I was taken apart by each of them successively one evening, to be told that save for certain unfortunate peculiarities her rival was an uncommonly sensible woman, I felt that I could safely retire, and leave them to their day-dream of making me d.u.c.h.ess of Clyde.
”d.u.c.h.ess or no d.u.c.h.ess, it would be an admirable connection,” said Aunt Agnes.
”And there is no shadow of a doubt that his wife will be a d.u.c.h.ess,”
added Aunt Helen.
One day, shortly after we had returned to town, the news reached us that the Honorable Ernest Ferroll was in New York, and as a consequence there was great excitement among those who had been told of his projected visit to our city. In her wish to make the young n.o.bleman comfortable, Aunt Agnes had yielded to the remonstrances of her former enemy as to the necessity of renovating her house, and accordingly was absorbed by plumbers, upholsterers, and decorators, who under the general supervision of Aunt Helen undermined the customs of a lifetime, but cemented this new friends.h.i.+p. The last touches were being put to the improvements, and complete harmony reigned between the two establishments. To think of Aunt Agnes dropping in on Aunt Helen, or Aunt Helen drinking tea with Aunt Agnes!
It therefore happened that I was taken very little notice of by my two relatives, and was free to indulge the sweet current of sentiment, of which they were so blissfully unaware, to my heart's content. The power of love, and the power of money! How when united did they each illumine the other,--they, the two greatest forces of the world!
On the morning following the day on which we heard of Mr. Ferroll's arrival in New York, I saw a statement in the daily paper which made me start violently. It was the announcement of the failure of Roger Dale, banker and broker, with liabilities of three millions and estimated a.s.sets of less than one hundred thousand. I hastened to get ready to call on Mr. Chelm, but before leaving the house I received a message from him which read as follows: ”Francis Prime is in town, and I have made an appointment with him for twelve o'clock. You will please come to the office at once, if possible.”
”What has happened, Mr. Chelm?” I asked, as I entered the room where he was sitting. I tried to seem calm and indifferent.
”Sit down, Miss Harlan. I am sorry to say that your friend Francis Prime has got into difficulties. Roger Dale, a rather prominent banker, has suspended payment, and Mr. Prime happens to be one of his largest creditors.”
”Has Mr. Prime failed also?”
”Not yet. But I see no escape for him on his own showing. The circ.u.mstances are peculiar, and indicate deliberate fraud on the part of Dale; but, as Prime says, he can't let his own customers suffer.”
”This is all a riddle to me,” I said, a little impatiently. ”You forget that I do not know the facts yet.”
”The facts are simple enough; and the whole difficulty, it seems, is indirectly the result of having anything to do with men who take improper risks. As I told you the other day, young Prime has been egged on by the large sums he has seen made in a few days by others, to go joint account with this man Dale, who has had the reputation of being very shrewd and successful, and who, by the way, comes from this city.
The speculations turned out very well, especially this last one, which our friend tells me was to have been his last.”
”Yes, I am sure it was,” I answered excitedly.
Mr. Chelm looked at me with a blank sort of gaze. ”Very likely,” he observed, with a dry smile. ”Well, as I was saying, this like the others was profitable, and Prime not only had enriched himself but some of his customers who had taken the risk with him. The money was paid to him, and he made reports of the same to his customers. But the same day Dale came in and asked Prime to loan him over night the sum he had just paid in, as a personal favor. Prime says he hesitated, not because he suspected anything, but on grounds of common prudence. It seemed to him, however, that it would be churlish and punctilious to refuse to accommodate the man to whom he owed his good fortune, and so he lent the money. Next day, Dale failed disgracefully. Of course Mr. Prime feels bound in honor to pay his customers their profits, which happen to exceed his capital. There is the whole story.”
”I see. And what do you advise me to do?” I asked, after a pause.
”Do?” Mr. Chelm shrugged his shoulders. ”I do not see that you can do anything.”
”I can pay his debts.”
”You can pay his debts, and you can found a Home for unsuccessful merchant-princes, if you choose, but not with my consent.”
”He has behaved very honorably.”
”Pooh! Any honest man would do the same.”
<script>