His tone was unmistakably decisive, and Mrs. Knox saw that it was so. For many years she had been in the habit of regarding Arnold as something like a bucket in a well, which brings up water every time it is let down. Just so had he brought up money for her from his pocket every time she worried for it. But that was over now: and he had to bear these reproaches periodically.
"You know that you _can_ let me have it, Arnold. You can lend it me from Mina"s money."
His face flushed slightly, he pushed his fair hair back with a gesture of annoyance.
"The last time you spoke of _that_ I begged you never to mention it again," he said in a low tone. "Why, what do you take me for, mother?"
"Take you for?"
"You must know that I could not touch Mina"s money without becoming a false trustee. Men have been brought to the criminal bar to answer for a less crime than that would be."
"If Mina married, you would have to hand over the whole of it."
"Of course I should. First of all taking care that it was settled upon her."
"I don"t see the necessity of that. Mina could let me have what she pleased of it."
"Talking of Mina," resumed Dr. Knox, pa.s.sing by her remark, "I think you must look a little closely after her. She is more intimate, I fancy, with Captain Collinson than is desirable, and----"
"Suppose Captain Collinson wants to marry her?" interrupted Mrs. Knox.
"Has he told you that he wants to do so?"
"No; not in so many words. But he evidently likes her. What a good match it would be!"
"Mina is too young to be married yet. And Captain Collinson cannot, I should suppose, have any intention of the sort. If he had, he would speak out: when it would be time enough to consider and discuss his proposal. Unless he does speak, I must beg of you not to allow Mina to be alone with him."
"She never is alone with him."
"I think she is, at odd moments. Only last night I saw her with him at the gate. Before that, while your soiree was going on, d.i.c.ky--I believe he could tell you so, if you asked him--saw them walking together in the garden, the captain"s arm round her waist."
"Girls are so fond of flirting! And young men think no harm of a little pa.s.sing familiarity."
"Just so. But for remembering this, I should speak to Captain Collinson.
The thought that there may be nothing serious in it prevents me. At any rate, I beg of you to take care of Mina."
"And the money I want?" she asked, as he took up his hat to go.
But Dr. Knox, shortly repeating that he had no money to give her, made his escape. He had been ruffled enough already. One thing was certain: that if some beneficent sprite from fairyland increased Mrs. Knox"s annual income cent. per cent. she would still, and ever, be in embarra.s.sment. Arnold knew this.
Mrs. Knox sat on, revolving difficulties. How many similar interviews she had held with her step-son, and how often he had been brought round to pay her bills, she could but remember. Would he do it now? A most unpleasant doubt, that he would not, lay upon her.
Presently the entrance was darkened by some tall form interposing itself between herself and the sunlight. She glanced up and saw Captain Collinson. He stood there smiling, his ta.s.selled cane jauntily swayed in his left hand.
"My dear madam, you looked troubled. Is anything wrong?"
"Troubled! the world"s full of trouble, I think," spoke Mrs. Knox, in a pettish kind of way. "Dr. Knox has been here to vex me."
Captain Collinson stepped airily in, and sat down near Mrs. Knox, his eyes expressing proper concern: indignation blended with sympathy.
"Very inconsiderate of Dr. Knox: very wrong! Can I help you in any way, my dear lady?"
"Arnold is always inconsiderate. First, he begins upon me about d.i.c.ky, threatening to put him altogether away at school, poor ill-used child!
Next, he----"
"Sweet little angel?" interlarded the captain.
"Next, he refuses to lend me a trifling sum of money--and he knows how badly I want it!"
"Paltry!" e.j.a.c.u.l.a.t.ed the captain. "When he must be making so much of it!"
"Rolling in it, so to say," confirmed Mrs. Knox. "Look at the practice he has! But if he did not give me any of his, he might advance me a trifle of Mina"s."
"Of course he might," warmly acquiesced Captain Collinson.
What with the warmth and the sympathy, Mrs. Knox rather lost her head.
Many of us are betrayed on occasion into doing the same. That is, she said more than she should have said.
"You see, if Mina married, as I pointed out to Arnold, the money would no longer be under his control at all. It would be hers to do as she pleased with. She is a dear, good, generous girl, and would not scruple to let me have one or two hundred pounds. What would such a trifle be out of the whole seven thousand?"
"Very true; nothing at all," cried the captain, toying with his handsome beard.
"But no; Arnold will not hear of it: he answered me in a way that I should not like to repeat. He also said he should take care, if Mina did marry before she was of age, that her money was settled upon her; said it on purpose to thwart me."
"Cruel!" aspirated the captain.
"Some girls might be tempted to marry off-hand, and say nothing to him, if only to get her fortune out of his control. I don"t say Mina would."
"Miser! My dear madam, rely upon it that whenever Miss Mina does marry, her husband will join with her in letting you have as much money as you wish. I am sure it would be his pride and pleasure to do so."
Was it an implied promise? meant to be so understood? Mrs. Knox took it for one. She came out of her dumps, and felt exalted to the seventh heaven.
Meanwhile, Arnold Knox was with Lady Jenkins, to whom he had gone on quitting his step-mother. The old lady, up and dressed, sat in her dining-room. There appeared to be no change in her condition: drowsy, lethargic, gentle, yielding; imbecile, or not many shades removed from it. And yet, neither Dr. Knox nor his fellow-pract.i.tioner could see any cause to account for this. Of bodily illness she had none: except that she seemed feeble.
"I wish you would tell me what it is you are taking," said Dr. Knox, bending over her and speaking in low, persuasive tones. "I fear that you are taking something that does you harm."
Lady Jenkins looked up at him, apparently trying to consider. "I"ve not had anything since I took the physic," she said.
"What physic?"
"The bottles that Mr. Tamlyn sent me."
"But that was when you were ill. Are you sure you have not taken anything else?--that you are not taking anything? Any"--he dropped his voice to a still lower key--"opiates? Laudanum, for instance?"
Lady Jenkins shook her head. "I never took any sort of opiate in my life."
"Then it is being given to her without her knowledge," mentally decided the doctor. "I hear you were at the next door last night, as gay as the best of them," he resumed aloud, changing his tone to a light one.
"Ay. I put on my new bronze satin gown: Patty said I was to. Janet sang her pretty songs."