Part 35 (2/2)
”Upset the apple-cart. Poor old Dad! But I'd do it again!”
”How did you do it the first time?” said Pip patiently.
”Well, I'll tell you. After lunch, Dad and I and his lords.h.i.+p went into the library. We all sat down, the old gentleman very stiff and upright.
He had hardly given me a glance so far, but now he turned and looked at me. I felt pretty small, Jack. I can hold my own in a staring match with most people, but that proud old man fairly beat me. He simply looked right through me at the cus.h.i.+on my head was leaning against. By the way, you can do that a bit, too, Jack. It's a trick some men have. That's what first made me think that you--where was I?”
”In the library.”
”Oh, yes. Well, at last the old man turned to Dad, and looked at _him_.
Dad didn't half like it, I could see. The old man said--
”'I understand that my son proposes to ally himself with--er,--this young lady?'
”'Yes,' said Dad, 'he does.'
”'And you have given your consent to the match?'
”'Yes', says Dad, as solemn as a judge; 'after due consideration, I have.'
”'Then I may as well tell you at once,' says his lords.h.i.+p, quite briskly, 'that I am utterly and entirely opposed to the match, and will never give my consent to it.'
”There was a little silence, and we all three settled down in our chairs as much as to say, 'Now we are really getting to business.' Presently Dad said,--
”'I am afraid, my lord, that solemn agreements of this kind are not so easily broken. Consider my daughter's feelings.'
”'I am perfectly willing to consider her feelings, sir,' says the old gentleman, with a little odd bow. Then he turned to me and said,--
”'May I ask a direct question? Are you genuinely attached to my son?'
”I wished he wouldn't keep on at me like that. However, I had to keep my end up, so I said, in a sort of soft voice, 'Yes.'
”'Ah,' said he, as if he was thinking. Then Dad, evidently considering we were wasting time, put in,--
”'If this match is broken off, my daughter's susceptibilities must be solaced in a very substantial manner.'
”Then the old gentleman turned and looked Dad through and through, and said, 'Ah!' again, as much as to say, 'I thought so.'
”'Well,' he said at last, 'how much do you want?'
”'_I_?' says Dad, still playing the game--'nothing. _I_ am not the injured party. It is for my poor girl to say.'
”The Earl looked at me. I took a big breath, and said, 'A hundred thousand pounds.'
”'You value your heart at rather a high figure, madam,' says he. (Do you remember, those were the very words _you_ used to me, Jack?) Then he swings round to Dad, and says,--
”'Of course this is preposterous. I am willing to pay you five thousand pounds, to extricate my son from the trap, the carefully baited trap'--he looked all round the room, and I _knew_ he knew everything in it had been got on the nod--'into which he has fallen. That is more than you would get out of the most impressionable jury, and I advise you to take it, Mr.--er--Lottingar.'
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