"Well, mother, if I could just get a few thousands for a couple of weeks I should be as rich as Croesus, and out of all those difficulties I told you of in another month. Do you know of any one likely to have such a sum to lend?"
"Thousands, Howel! why hundreds wasn"t plenty with us, let alone thousands. You do know that there don"t be any wan so rich as you in our parts."
"So I am, mother, or rather shall be by-and-by. I have lived beyond my income, but I am going to retrench, and if you could only lend me five or six thousands pounds, it would set me right, and I could pay you again in a month."
"Five or six thousand! Why, Howel, I "ouldn"t know how to get it; and I don"t cheuse to be reuining myself, and bringing myself down again for n.o.body."
"Not even for me, mother? To save me from jail, perhaps! Ha! ha! I"m sure you wouldn"t like to see me in jail; and "pon my honour I don"t know how I shall keep out of it unless you help me."
"And where"s the thousands and hundreds of thousands your father was leaving you? Ten years ago come next Jeune he did die, my poor Griffey."
"Now, mother, don"t humbug me about that. You know you were glad enough.
Only let me have the money, unless you want me to leave the country, never to come back."
"Ach an wyr! How you be talking. You wos frightening me to death. I "ouldn"t mind lending you a few hundreds, but--"
"Hundreds won"t do, mother. I must have five thousand six hundred before this week is out, or else--It is impossible you could be cruel enough to see your only son in distress, and not help him out of it."
"I have been helping you all your life, Howel. I could lend you wan thousand, and no more, and if you"ll promise to be paying me soon."
"One thousand six hundred, mother, I must have that at least."
It would be waste of time to write the reasons urged by Howel to induce his mother to advance him this money; but after some hours of entreaty, and a promise from him that he would repay it shortly, she consented to write the necessary cheque for that sum. She insisted upon the business being managed through Mr Rice Rice, her attorney at home, and wrote to him to empower him to raise it as he best could for her son at once.
As she was a poor scribe, and a still worse orthographer, Howel superintended the letter, and when it was written said he would enclose and post it. He was most particular in telling her where and how to write the figures; and before the ink was dry begged her to go to a davenport, which stood at the other end of the room, for a stamp.
No sooner was her back turned towards him, than with the same pen and ink he made the straight figure _one_ into a _four_, and in the cheque which she had written, as well as in the accompanying letter, four thousand six hundred pounds held the place that one thousand six hundred had held when Mrs Griffith Jenkins left the table to go to the davenport.
If Howel trembled, or if his conscience smote him when he did this dreadful deed, he did not let his mother see it.
"Perhaps, after all, you had better direct the letter, mother," he said, as he finished sealing it. "If I do it it will look as if I thought you couldn"t write, and you really write just as well as any other lady of your age. I am really very much obliged to you."
When Howel carried the letter out of the room, and went for a few moments into another, he said to himself, "I can pay the whole back after the races, and manage so as to prevent her knowing anything about it. And if the worst come to the worst, I must tell her what I did. She won"t expose me; it will be a furious quarrel, and then all will be over. We must keep her here for a long time, and I must get hold of her letters first and read them to her, and alter them if necessary. Now I must look about for another thousand pounds."
In due course of time the money was procured for Mrs Jenkins, and paid into a London bank. Howel took possession of the letter of advice concerning it, and told his mother he had opened it because she was out when it arrived, and he had not a moment to lose in obtaining the money from the bank. He kissed her, and talked to her, and hurried her and Netta to dress for a drive in the park with him, until he made her forget to obtain possession of the letter, and so far his fraud prospered.
A few mornings after he had received the money, he had a note from Mr Deep, containing the intelligence of the return from abroad of Sir Samuel Spendall, and that his attorneys were investigating his affairs.
As soon as he received this note, he went by a succession of omnibuses to the east of London, and, as it chanced, into his brother-in-law"s parish. In this parish there was a wretched-looking suburb, inhabited princ.i.p.ally by Jews, whose houses were, unlike the whited sepulchres metaphorically used in scripture to describe the hearts of their race, most unclean without, but magnificent within. Into many of these dwellings Howel went in the hope of raising money, but without success.
His credit was at zero.
In a desolate, but somewhat more respectable-looking house of the same parish, he hired a couple of rooms, giving his name as Mr Mills, and paying a week"s rent in advance.
He was walking up this street, looking for a cab, when he was suddenly accosted by his brother-in-law, Rowland Prothero.
"You are coming to see me, Howel, I am so glad," said Rowland, as they shook hands.
"Not to-day; I am here on a little business, and in a great hurry."
Howel walked on, but Rowland accompanied him.
"You were all out when I called yesterday," said Rowland, "and I particularly wanted to see you, Howel. When will you be at home?"
"It is impossible to say."
"It is on your own account; it is about Sir Samuel Spendall that I wish to speak."
Howel turned pale, and stood still for a moment, looking round him as he did so to see that no one was listening.
"What of him?"
"Sir Philip told me that he had been heard to say he would dispute your right to his property, for you had acquired it by unfair means."
"The scoundrel!" cried Howel, turning pale. "You have always something agreeable to communicate when we do meet. It is well it is so seldom, Mr Rowland Prothero."
"Oh, Howel! hear me whilst it is yet time, and clear yourself from the imputations to which I cannot shut my ears. My eyes, alas! have been long opened, and I would have helped you, but neither Netta nor you will listen."
"Cab!" shouted Howel, and a cab drew up, and Howel jumped into it, with a "good morning," leaving Rowland looking mournfully after it.
The next morning Rowland was at Howel"s house very early. He found Netta alone, and heard from her that Howel had not been at home since the previous morning. She had had a line from him telling her that he was going with Mr Deep to Greenwich.
Netta looked ill and anxious. Rowland entreated her to tell him freely what made her so unhappy. He said he did not wish to interfere between her and her husband, only to advise her for her good.
Netta burst into tears, and said that Howel was very kind now, but that she feared there was something on his mind. She knew they were in debt, but that Howel told her all would soon be right.
Rowland begged her to come to him if she were in any difficulty; a.s.sured her of his brotherly love and deep interest in her; pointed out her path of duty to her, and urged her to be patient with her husband whatever might happen, and to endeavour to win him to better courses; then left her with a heavy heart and a promise to return on the morrow. He was obliged to be at home that evening for a service in the church.
Late at night Howel returned, anxious and pale. Netta and Mrs Griffey had been to see Albert Smith"s entertainment, and the latter was in a great state of descriptive excitement, when Howel interrupted her by saying,--
"Mother, I am very sorry to seem so unkind and inhospitable, but I am afraid I must ask you to return home to-morrow."
"To-morrow! I am feeling too tired to be up in time to-morrow, and, seure! if you "on"t give your own mother a home for as long as she do like to stay, there"s my Lady Simpson who is asking me there, and--"
"Impossible, mother, I must see you off for Wales. I am in great trouble about money, and I must leave to-morrow myself or shall be in jail."
"Name o" goodness, Howel, what wos you doing with what I did give you?"
"Never mind; only, if anything is said to you about that money by any one, take care what you say in answer. Don"t answer at all, indeed, or it may ruin you and me. Now you must pack up your things to be ready for the first train. Tell the servants--I will--that you are summoned home by a telegraphic message."
Howel impelled his mother upstairs, and then said to Netta, who was standing looking very pale, with her hand on her heart,--
"Netta, you must fill your pockets, and every corner of your dress that will contain them, with such jewels and plate as are of value. Money, I fear, there is none, unless my mother has any. Send the servants to bed, and do this when all is quiet. I am liable to be arrested for debt, and do not know when it may or may not take place. Have a cab to-morrow morning, and send my mother to the station; then take Minette, at your usual hour, through the park to Hyde Park Corner. Start about ten. I will meet you. I must not stay here to-night; indeed, I must not stay longer."
Netta threw her arms round Howel"s neck, and entreated him not to leave her.
"Netta, don"t be a fool! You don"t want to ruin me, do you?"
Netta withdrew her arms, and stood like a statue before Howel.
"You needn"t look so frightened? it will be all right in a few weeks.