Frivolities.
by Richard Marsh.
The purse which was found
I.
The first applicant arrived just as I was sitting down to breakfast. I went out to him in the hall at once. He was tall, thin, and distinctly seedy.
"I have called with reference to the advertis.e.m.e.nt of the purse which was found." I bowed. He seemed to hesitate. "I have lost a purse." He looked as if he had--long years ago. "I have reason to believe that it is my purse which you have found. I shall be happy to hand you the cost of your advertis.e.m.e.nt on your returning me my property."
"When did you lose it?"
My question seemed to escape his notice.
"I am a clergyman in the Orders of the Church of England, and the inscrutable laws of the Divine Benevolence have placed me in a position which makes such a loss a matter of cardinal importance."
"Where did you lose it?"
"In town, sir--in town."
"In what part of town?"
"In the west, sir--in the west."
"Do you mean in the western postal district?"
"My topographical knowledge of this great city is scarcely sufficient to enable me to enter into such minutiae." He a.s.sumed an air of candour which ill became him. "I will be frank with you. I do not know where I lost it. The shock of the loss was so great as to make of my mind a _tabula rasa_. I have an appointment at some distance from here in less than half an hour. Might I ask you to give me my property without any unnecessary delay?"
"With pleasure, on your describing it."
"Unfortunately there again you have me at a disadvantage. The purse was my daughter"s, lent to me only for the day. I have not preserved a sufficiently clear mental picture to enable me to furnish you with an adequate description."
"But your daughter can?"
"Precisely, if she were in town. But she is not in town. And it is of paramount importance that I should at once regain possession of the property. If you will allow me to look at it I shall be able to tell at a glance if it is mine."
"I am afraid that I must request you to describe the purse lost before I show you the one I found."
He drew himself up.
"I trust, sir, that your words are not intended to convey a reflection?"
"Not at all. Only, as I have not breakfasted, and you have an appointment to keep, it might be as well if you were at once to communicate with your daughter, and request her to favour you with the necessary description."
"Excuse me, sir, but you mistake your man. I am a gentleman, sir, like you--a university man, sir. I came here to regain possession of my property; you are in possession of that property; until you return it to me I do not intend to quit this house." As he had suddenly raised his voice, and evinced symptoms of raising it higher, I opened the front door by way of a hint. On the doorstep stood one of the unemployed, the remnant of a woollen m.u.f.fler twisted round his neck.
"Beg pardon, guv"nor, I"ve come for my purse."
"What purse?"
"You know very well what purse--the purse what"s advertised. You hand it over to me, and I"m game to pay all costs. It"s mine. I lost it."
"Describe the one you had the misfortune to lose."
"It was a leather purse."
"Then that is not the purse I found."
"Shammy leather, I mean."
"Nor is it shammy leather."
"Covered with sealskin outside."
"Nor is it covered with sealskin outside."
"Just you take and let me have a look at it. I"ll soon tell you if it"s mine."
"Before the purse is shown to any claimant he must satisfactorily describe it."
"Very well; that"s all about it. If it ain"t mine, it ain"t mine. You needn"t be nasty."
"I have no intention of being nasty."
"Then don"t be. Because a pore feller loses his purse he don"t need to be trampled on. You can be pore but honest."
With the utterance of this trite and, possibly, admirable observation the man strolled off, with his hands in his pockets. My clerical friend, who had lingered in the hall, endeavoured to take me by the b.u.t.ton-hole. He addressed me in a confidential whisper.
"Pardon me, sir, but circ.u.mstances over which I have no control have temporarily crippled my resources. Since, from motives which I understand, and which I honour, sir, you prefer to continue to be the custodian of my family property, might I with confidence ask you to oblige me with a small loan till I am able to place myself in communication with my daughter?"
"You might not."
"I fear that I am already late for my appointment. The only way to reach it in time will be to take a cab. May I, at least, ask you to enable me to pay the fare?"
"You may not."
He sighed.
"I believe you said you had not breakfasted? Neither, sir, have I. You will hardly believe it, but it is a positive fact that I, a clergyman, a master of arts of my university, have not tasted food for more than four-and-twenty hours. If, sir, you will suffer me, a humble stranger, to join you at your morning meal----"
"Good-day, sir."
He sighed again. Then, putting his hand up to his mouth, he asked, in a sepulchral whisper:
"Will you lend me sixpence?"