CHAPTER VI.
On Monday morning Wyndham returned to town. His father had strained a point to give his only son the season in London, and Gerald was paying part of the expenses by coaching one or two young fellows for the next Cambridge term. He had just concluded his own University course, and was only waiting until his twenty-third birthday had pa.s.sed, to be ordained for the curacy which his father was keeping for him. Gerald"s birthday would be in September, and the rectory girls were looking forward to this date as though it were the beginning of the millennium.
"Even the cats won"t fight, nor the dogs bark when Gerald is in the room," whispered little Joan. "I "spect they know he don"t like it."
Wyndham returned to London feeling both low and excited. His conversation with Lilias and the rather pallid look of her face, the black shadows under her eyes, and the pathetic expression which the shedding of so many tears had given to them, could not cure him nor extinguish the flame which was burning into his heart, and making all the other good things of life seem but as dust and ashes to his taste.
He arrived in town, went straight to his lodgings, preparatory to keeping his engagement with one of his young pupils, and there saw waiting for him a letter in the firm upright handwriting of Mortimer Paget. He tore the envelope open in feverish haste. The lines within were very few:--
DEAR WYNDHAM.
Val and I were disappointed at your not putting in an appearance at her dinner-party last night, but no doubt you had good reasons for going into the country. This note will meet you on your return.
Can you come and lunch with me in the City on Monday at two o"clock? Come to my place in Billiter-square. I shall expect you and won"t keep you waiting. I have a matter of some importance I should like to discuss with you.--Yours, my dear Wyndham, sincerely,
"MORTIMER PAGET."
Wyndham put the letter into his pocket, flew to keep his appointment with his pupil, and at two o"clock precisely was inquiring for Mr.
Paget at the offices of the shipping firm in Billiter-square.
Mortimer Paget was now head of the large establishment. He was the sole surviving partner out of many, and on him alone devolved the carrying out of one of the largest business concerns in the city.
Wyndham never felt smaller than when he entered those great doors, and found himself pa.s.sed on from one clerk to another, until at last he was admitted to the ante-room of the chief himself.
Here there was a hush and stillness, and the young man sank down into one of the easy chairs, and looked around him expectantly. He was in the ante chamber of one of the great kings of commerce, the depressing influence of wealth when we have no share in it came over him. He longed to turn and fly, and but that his fingers, even now, fiddled with Mr. Paget"s very pressing note he would have done so. What could the great man possibly want with him? With his secret in his breast, with the knowledge that he, a poor young expectant curate, had dared to lift up his eyes to the only daughter of this great house, he could not but feel ill at ease.
When Wyndham was not at home with any one he instantly lost his charm.
He was painfully conscious of this himself, and felt sure that he would be on stilts while he ate his lunch with Mr. Paget. Nay more, he was almost sure that that astute personage would read his secret in his eyes.
A clerk came into the room, an elderly man, with reddish whiskers, small, deep-set eyes, and thin hair rapidly turning white. He stared inquisitively at young Wyndham, walked past him, drew up the blinds, arranged some papers on the table, and then as he pa.s.sed him again said in a quick, half-frightened aside:
"If I was you, young man, I"d go."
The tone in which this was said was both anxious and familiar. Wyndham started aside from the familiarity. His face flushed and he gazed haughtily at the speaker.
"Did you address me?" he said.
"I did, young man, don"t say nothing, for the good Lord"s sake, don"t say nothing. My name is Jonathan Helps. I have been here man and boy for close on forty years. I know the old house. Sound! no house in the whole city sounder, sound as a nut, or as an apple when _it"s rotten at the core_. You keep that to yourself, young man--why I"d venture every penny I have in this yer establishment. I"m confidential clerk here!
I"m a rough sort--and not what you"d expect from a big house, nor from a master like Mr. Paget. Now, young man, you go away, and believe that there ain"t a sounder house in all the city than that of Paget, Brake and Carter. I, Jonathan Helps, say it, and surely I ought to know."
An electric bell sounded in the other room. Wiping his brow with his handkerchief as though the queer words he had uttered had cost him an effort, Helps flew to answer the summons.
"Ask Mr. Wyndham to walk in and have lunch served in my room," said an authoritative voice. "And see here. Helps, you are not to disturb us on any excuse before three o"clock."
Shutting the door behind him, Helps came back again to Gerald"s side.
"If you don"t want to run away at once you"re to go in there," he said. "Remember, there isn"t a sounder house in all London than that of Paget, Brake and Carter. Paget"s head of the whole concern now. Don"t he boss it over us though! Oh, you"re going in?--you"ve made up your mind not to run away. Surely in vain is the net spread in the sight of any bird. Good Lord, if that ain"t the least true word that David ever writ. Well, here you are. Don"t forget that this house is sound--sound as an apple when it is--Mr. Wyndham, sir."
"You seem to have got a very extraordinary clerk," said Gerald, when he had shaken hands with his host, who had expressed himself delighted to see him.
"Helps?" responded Mr. Paget. "Yes, poor fellow--has he been entertaining you--telling you about the soundness of the house, eh?
Poor Helps--the best fellow in the world, but just a little--a very little--touched in the head."
"So I should think," said Gerald, laughing; "he compared me to a bird in the fowler"s net, and all kinds of ridiculous similes. What a snug room you have here."
"I am glad you think it so. I have a still snugger room at the other side of this curtain, which I hope to introduce to you. Come along and see it. This was furnished at Val"s suggestion. She comes here to have lunch with me once a week. Friday is her day. Will you come and join us here next Friday at two o"clock?"
"I--I shall be delighted," stammered Wyndham.
"She has good taste, hasn"t she, little puss? All these arrangements are hers. I never saw any one with a better eye for color, and she has that true sympathy with her surroundings which teaches her to adapt rooms to their circ.u.mstances. Now, for instance, at Queen"s Gate we are all cool greys and blues--plenty of sunshine comes into the house at Queen"s Gate. Into this room the sun never shows his face. Val accordingly subst.i.tutes for his brightness golden tones and warm colors. Artistic, is it not? She is very proud of the remark which invariably falls from the lips of each person who visits this sanctum sanctorum, that it does not look the least like an office."
"Nor does it," responded Gerald. "It is a lovely room. What a beautiful portrait that is of your daughter--how well those warm greys suit her complexion."
"Yes, that is Richmond"s, he painted her two years ago. Sit down at this side of the table, Wyndham, where you can have a good view of the saucy puss. Does she not look alive, as if she meant to say something very impertinent to us both. Thanks, Helps, you can leave us now. Pray see that we are not disturbed."
Helps withdrew with noiseless slippered feet. A curtain was drawn in front of the door, which the clerk closed softly after him.
"Excellent fellow, Helps," said Mr. Paget, "but mortal, decidedly mortal. If you will excuse me, Wyndham. I will take the precaution of turning the key in that door. This little room, Val"s room, I call it, has often been privileged to listen to state secrets. That being the case one must take due precautions against eaves-droppers. Now, my dear fellow, I hope you are hungry. Help yourself to some of those cutlets--I can recommend this champagne."
The lunch proceeded, the elder man eating with real appet.i.te, the younger with effort. He was excited, his mind was full of trouble--he avoided looking at Valentine"s picture, and wished himself at the other side of those locked doors.
"You don"t seem quite the thing," said Mr. Paget, presently. "I hope you have had no trouble at home, Wyndham. Is your father well? Let me see, he must be about my age--we were at Trinity College, Cambridge, some time in the forties."
"My father is very well, sir," said Gerald. "He is a hale man, he does not look his years."
"Have some more champagne? I think you told me you had several sisters."
"Yes, there are seven girls at home."
"Good heavens--Wyndham is a lucky man. Fancy seven Valentines filling a house with mirth! And you are the only son--and your mother is dead."
"My mother is not living," responded Wyndham with a flush. "And--yes, I am the only son. I won"t have any more champagne, thank you, sir."
"Try one of these cigars--I can recommend them. Wyndham, I am going to say something very frank. I have taken a fancy to you. There, I don"t often take fancies. Why, what is the matter, my dear fellow?"
Gerald had suddenly risen to his feet, his face was white. There was a strained, eager, pained look in his eyes.
"You wouldn"t, if you knew," he stammered. "I--I have made a fool of myself, sir. I oughtn"t to be sitting here, your hospitality chokes me.
I--I have made the greatest fool of myself in all Christendom, sir."
"I think I know what you mean," said Mr. Paget, also rising to his feet. His voice was perfectly calm, quiet, friendly.
"I am not sorry you have let it out in this fashion, my poor lad. You have--shall I tell you that I know your secret, Wyndham?"
"No, sir; don"t let us talk of it. You cannot rate me for my folly more severely than I rate myself. I"ll go away now if you have no objection.
Thank you for being kind to me. Try and forget that I made an a.s.s of myself."