The Way We Live Now, Anthony Trollope [good story books to read .txt] 📗

because I think we are really friends. I’m after that daughter of Melmotte’s.”

“I’m told you’re to have her.”

“I don’t know about that. I mean to try at any rate. I’ve gone in you know for that Board in the city.”

“I don’t know anything about Boards, my boy.”

“Yes, you do, Dolly. You remember that American fellow, Montague’s friend, that was here one night and won all our money.”

“The chap that had the waistcoat, and went away in the morning to California. Fancy starting to California after a hard night. I always wondered whether he got there alive.”

“Well;⁠—I can’t explain to you all about it, because you hate those kinds of things.”

“And because I am such a fool.”

“I don’t think you’re a fool at all, but it would take a week. But it’s absolutely essential for me to take up a lot of shares in the city tomorrow;⁠—or perhaps Wednesday might do. I’m bound to pay for them, and old Melmotte will think that I’m utterly hard up if I don’t. Indeed he said as much, and the only objection about me and this girl of his is as to money. Can’t you understand, now, how important it may be?”

“It’s always important to have a lot of money. I know that.”

“I shouldn’t have gone in for this kind of thing if I hadn’t thought I was sure. You know how much you owe me, don’t you?”

“Not in the least.”

“It’s about eleven hundred pounds!”

“I shouldn’t wonder.”

“And Miles Grendall owes me two thousand. Grasslough and Nidderdale when they lose always pay with Miles’s I.O.U.s.”

“So should I, if I had them.”

“It’ll come to that soon that there won’t be any other stuff going, and they really ain’t worth anything. I don’t see what’s the use of playing when this rubbish is shoved about the table. As for Grendall himself, he has no feeling about it.”

“Not the least, I should say.”

“You’ll try and get me the money, won’t you, Dolly?”

“Melmotte has been at me twice. He wants me to agree to sell something. He’s an old thief, and of course he means to rob me. You may tell him that if he’ll let me have the money in the way I’ve proposed, you are to have a thousand pounds out of it. I don’t know any other way.”

“You could write me that⁠—in a business sort of way.”

“I couldn’t do that, Carbury. What’s the use? I never write any letters. I can’t do it. You tell him that; and if the sale comes off, I’ll make it straight.”

Miles Grendall also dined there, and after dinner, in the smoking-room, Sir Felix tried to do a little business with the Secretary. He began his operations with unusual courtesy, believing that the man must have some influence with the great distributor of shares. “I’m going to take up my shares in that company,” said Sir Felix.

“Ah;⁠—indeed.” And Miles enveloped himself from head to foot in smoke.

“I didn’t quite understand about it, but Nidderdale saw Melmotte and he has explained it. I think I shall go in for a couple of thousand on Wednesday.”

“Oh;⁠—ah.”

“It will be the proper thing to do;⁠—won’t it?”

“Very good⁠—thing to do!” Miles Grendall smoked harder and harder as the suggestions were made to him.

“Is it always ready money?”

“Always ready money,” said Miles shaking his head, as though in reprobation of so abominable an institution.

“I suppose they allow some time to their own Directors, if a deposit, say 50 percent, is made for the shares?”

“They’ll give you half the number, which would come to the same thing.”

Sir Felix turned this over in his mind, but let him look at it as he would, could not see the truth of his companion’s remark. “You know I should want to sell again⁠—for the rise.”

“Oh; you’ll want to sell again.”

“And therefore I must have the full number.”

“You could sell half the number, you know,” said Miles.

“I’m determined to begin with ten shares;⁠—that’s £1,000. Well;⁠—I have got the money, but I don’t want to draw out so much. Couldn’t you manage for me that I should get them on paying 50 percent down?”

“Melmotte does all that himself.”

“You could explain, you know, that you are a little short in your own payments to me.” This Sir Felix said, thinking it to be a delicate mode of introducing his claim upon the Secretary.

“That’s private,” said Miles frowning.

“Of course it’s private; but if you would pay me the money I could buy the shares with it, though they are public.”

“I don’t think we could mix the two things together, Carbury.”

“You can’t help me?”

“Not in that way.”

“Then, when the deuce will you pay me what you owe me?” Sir Felix was driven to this plain expression of his demand by the impassibility of his debtor. Here was a man who did not pay his debts of honour, who did not even propose any arrangement for paying them, and who yet had the impudence to talk of not mixing up private matters with affairs of business! It made the young baronet very sick. Miles Grendall smoked on in silence. There was a difficulty in answering the question, and he therefore made no answer. “Do you know how much you owe me?” continued the baronet, determined to persist now that he had commenced the attack. There was a little crowd of other men in the room, and the conversation about the shares had been commenced in an undertone. These two last questions Sir Felix had asked in a whisper, but his countenance showed plainly that he was speaking in anger.

“Of course I know,” said Miles.

“Well?”

“I’m not going to talk about it here.”

“Not going to talk about it here?”

“No. This is a public room.”

“I am going to talk about it,” said Sir Felix, raising his voice.

“Will any fellow come upstairs and play a game of billiards?” said Miles Grendall rising from his chair. Then he walked slowly out of the room, leaving Sir Felix to take what revenge he pleased. For a moment Sir Felix thought that he