Lala Roy read the receipt, and put it in his pocket. Then he rose and remarked, with a smile of supreme superiority:
"It is a pleasure to give money to you, and to such as you, Mr.
Chalker."
"Is it?" he replied with a grin. "Give me some more, then."
"You are one of those who, the richer they become, the less harm they do. Many Englishmen are of this disposition. When they are poor they are jackals, hyenas, wolves, and man-eating tigers; when they are rich they are benevolent and charitable, and show mercy unto the wretched and the poor. So that, in their case, the words of the Wise Man are naught, when he says that the earth is barren of good things where she h.o.a.rdeth treasure; and that where gold is in her bowels no herb groweth. Pray, Mr. Chalker, pray earnestly for gold in order that you may become virtuous."
Mr. Chalker grinned, but looked uncomfortable.
"I will, mister," he said, "I will pray with all my might."
Nevertheless, he remained for the s.p.a.ce of the whole morning in uneasiness. The words of the Philosopher troubled him. I do not go so far as to say that his mind went back to the days when he was young and innocent, because he was still young, and he never had been innocent; nor do I say that a tear rose to his eyes and trickled down his cheek, because nothing brought tears into his eyes except a speck of dust; or that he resolved to confine himself for the future to legitimate lawyer"s work, because he would then have starved. I only say that he felt uncomfortable and humiliated, and chiefly so because an old man with white hair and a brown skin--hang it! a common n.i.g.g.e.r--had been able to bring discord into the sweet harmony of his thoughts.
Lala Roy then betook himself to Joe"s former lodgings, and asked for that gentleman"s present address.
The landlady professed to know nothing.
"You do know, however," he persisted, reading knowledge in her eyes.
"Is it trouble you mean for him?" asked the woman, "and him such a fine, well-set-up young man, too! Is it trouble? Oh, dear, I always thought he got his money on the cross. Look here. I ain"t going to round on him, though he has gone away and left a comfortable room. So there! And you may go."
Lala Roy opened his hand. There were at least five golden sovereigns glorifying his dingy palm.
"Can gold," the moralist asked, "ever increase the virtue of man?
Woman, how much?"
"Is it trouble?" she repeated, looking greedily at the money. "Will the young man get copped?"
Lala understood no London slang. But he showed his hand again.
"How much? Who so is covetous let him know that his heart is poor. How much?"
"Poor young man! I"ll take them all, please, sir. What"s he done?"
"Where does he live?"
"I know where he lives," she said, "because our Bill rode away with him at the back of his cab, and saw where he got out. He"s married now, and his wife sings at the music-hall, and he lives on her earnings. Quite the gentleman he is now, and smokes cigars all day long. There"s his address, and thank you for the money. Oh," she said with a gasp. "To think that people can earn five pounds so easy."
"May the gold procure you happiness--such happiness as you desire!"
said Lala Roy.
"It will nearly pay the quarter"s rent. And that"s about happiness enough for one morning."
Joe was sitting in his room alone, half asleep. In fact, he had a head upon him. He sprung to his feet, however, when he saw Lala Roy.
"Hallo!" he cried. "You here, Nig? How the devil did you find out my address?"
There was not only astonishment, but some alarm upon his countenance.
"Never mind. I want a little conversation with you, Mr. Joseph."
"Well, sit down and let us have it out. I say, have you come to tell me that you did sneak those papers, after all? What did you get for them?"
"I have not come to tell you that. I dare say, however, we shall be able, some day, to tell you who did steal the papers--if any were stolen, that is."
"Quite so, my jolly mariner. If any were stolen. Ho, ho! you"ve got to prove that first, haven"t you? How"s the old man?"
"He is ill; he is feeble with age; he is weighed down with misfortune.
I am come, Mr. Joseph, to ask your help for him."
"My help for him? Why, can"t he help himself?"
"Four or five years ago he incurred a debt for one who forged his name. He needed not to have paid that money, but he saved a man from prison."
"Who was that? Who forged his name?"
"I do not name that man, whose end will be confusion, unless he repent and make amends. This debt has grown until it is too large for him to pay it. Unless it is paid, his whole property, his very means of living, will be sold by the creditor."
"How can I pay him back? It is three hundred and fifty pounds now,"
said Joseph.
"Man, thou hast named thyself."
Joseph stammered but bl.u.s.tered still.
"Well--then--what the devil do you mean--you and your forgery?"
"Forgery is one crime: you have since committed, perhaps, others.
Think. You have been saved once from prison. Will any one save you a second time? How have you shown your grat.i.tude? Will you now do something for your benefactor?"
"What do you mean, I say? What do you mean by your forgery and prison?
Hang me, if I oughtn"t to kick you out of the room. I would, too, if you were ten years younger. Do you know, sir, that you are addressing an officer and a gentleman?"
"There is sometimes, even at the very end, a door opened for repentance. The door is open now. Young man, once more, consider. Your grandfather is old and dest.i.tute. Will you help him?"
Joseph hesitated.
"I don"t believe he is poor. He has saved up all his money for the girl; let her help him."
"You are wrong. He has saved nothing. His granddaughter maintains herself by teaching. He has not a penny. You have got from him, and you have spent all the money he had."
"He ought to have saved."
"He could, at least, have lived by his calling but for you and for this debt which was incurred by you. He is ruined by it. What will you do for him?"
"I am not going to do anything for him," said Joseph. "Is it likely?
Did he ever have anything but a scowl for me?"