""If my father"s illness should be unhappily protracted, means must be taken, I believe, to devolve his share in business matters upon some other. I regret that it cannot possibly be upon myself; but I am totally unequal to the charge, and have not, besides, courage for the heavy responsibility."
"That"s the whole of it," said she, with a sigh; "and all things considered, it might have been worse."
CHAPTER XXVIII. CASTELLO.
Castello had now become a very dreary abode. Lord and Lady Culduff had taken their departure for Paris. Temple had gone up to town to try and manage an exchange, if by good luck any one could be found to believe that Bogota was a desirable residence, and a fine field for budding diplomacies; and none remained but Nelly and Augustus to relieve each other in watches beside their father"s sick-bed.
Young, and little experienced in life as she was, Nelly proved a great comfort and support to her brother in these trying hours. At first he told her nothing of the doubts and fears that beset him. In fact they had a.s.sumed no shape sufficiently palpable to convey.
It was his daily custom to go over the letters that each morning brought, and in a few words--the very fewest he could employ--acquaint Mr. Underwood, the junior partner, of his father"s precarious state, and protest against being able, in the slightest degree, to offer any views or guidance as to the conduct of matters of business. These would now and then bring replies in a tone that showed how little Underwood himself was acquainted with many of the transactions of the house, and how completely he was accustomed to submit himself to Colonel Bramleigh"s guidance. Even in his affected retirement from business, Bramleigh had not withdrawn from the direction of the weightiest of the matters which regarded the firm, and jealously refused any--the slightest--attempt of his partner to influence his judgment.
One of Underwood"s letters completely puzzled Augustus; not only by the obscurity of its wording, but by the evident trace in it of the writer"s own inability to explain his meaning. There was a pa.s.sage which ran thus: ""Mr. Sedley was down again, and this time the amount is two thousand five hundred; and though I begged he would give me time to communicate with you before honoring so weighty a draft, he replied--I take pains to record his exact words:--"There is no time for this; I shall think myself very fortunate, and deem Colonel Bramleigh more fortunate still, if I am not forced to call upon you for four times as much within a fortnight."" After referring to other matters, there was this at the end of the letter--
"S------has just repaid the amount he so lately drew from the bank; he appeared chagrined and out of spirits, merely saying, "Tell the Colonel the negotiation has broke down, and that I will write to-morrow.""
The promised letter from Sedley had not come, but in its place was a telegram from him, saying, "I find I must see and speak with you, I shall go over by Sat.u.r.day, and be with you on Sunday morning."
"Of course he cannot see papa," said Nelly; "the doctor more strongly than ever insists on perfect repose."
"And it"s little worth his while to make the journey to see me," said he, dispiritedly.
"Perhaps he only wants your sanction, your concurrence to something he thinks it wise to do--who knows?"
"Just so, Nelly; who knows? All these weighty speculations entered upon to convert thousands into tens of thousands have no sympathy of mine. I see no object in such wealth. The acc.u.mulation of what never spares one a moment for its enjoyment, seems to me as foolish as the act of a man who would pa.s.s his life scaling a mountain to obtain a view, and drop down of fatigue before he had once enjoyed it. You and I, I take it, would be satisfied with far humbler fortune?"
"You and I, Gusty," said she, laughingly, "are the ign.o.ble members of this family."
"Then there comes another difficulty; Sedley will at once see that I have not shared my father"s confidence, and he will be very cautious about telling me of matters which have not been intrusted to me already."
"Perhaps we are only worrying ourselves for nothing, Gusty. Perhaps there are no secrets after all; or at worst, only those trade secrets which are great mysteries in the counting house, but have no interest for any not deep in speculation."
"If I only thought so!"
"Have you sufficient confidence in Mr. Cutbill to take him into your counsel? He will be back here to morrow."
"Scarcely, Nelly. I do not exactly distrust, but I can"t say that I like him."
"I hated him at first; but either I have got used to his vulgarity, or I fancy that he is really good-natured, or from whatever the cause, I incline to like him better than when he came, and certainly he behaved well to poor Jack."
"Ah, there "s another trouble that I have not thought of. Jack, who does not appear to know how ill my poor father is, asks if he could not be induced to write to--somebody--I forget whom, in his behalf. In fact, Nelly, there is not a corner without its special difficulty, and I verily believe there never was a man less made to meet them than myself."
"I "ll take as much of the load as I have strength for," said she, quietly.
"I know that; I know it well, Nelly. I can scarcely say what I "d do without you now. Here comes the doctor. I "m very anxious to hear what he "ll say this evening."
Belton had made a long visit to the sick room, and his look was graver than usual as he came down the stairs. "His head is full of business; he will give his brain no respite," said he; "but for that, I "d not call his case hopeless. Would it not be possible to let him suppose that all the important matters which weigh upon him were in safe hands and in good guidance?"
Augustus shook his head doubtingly.
"At least could he not be persuaded to suffer some one--yourself, for example--to take the control of such affairs as require prompt action till such time as he may be able to resume their management himself?"
"I doubt it, Doctor; I doubt it much. Men who, like my father, have had to deal with vast and weighty interests, grow to feel that inexperienced people--of my own stamp, for instance--are but sorry subst.i.tutes in time of difficulty; and I have more than once heard him say, "I"d rather lash the tiller and go below, than give over the helm to a bad steersman.""
"I would begin," continued the doctor, "by forbidding him all access to his letters. You must have seen how nervous and excited he becomes as the hour of the post draws nigh. I think I shall take this responsibility on myself."
"I wish you would."
"He has given me, in some degree, the opportunity; for he has already asked when he might have strength enough to dictate a letter, and I have replied that I would be guided by the state in which I may find him to-morrow for the answer. My impression is that what he calls a letter is in reality a will. Are you aware whether he has yet made one?"
"I know nothing--absolutely nothing--of my father"s affairs."
"The next twelve hours will decide much," said the doctor, as he moved away, and Augustus sat pondering alone over what he had said, and trying to work out in his mind whether his father"s secrets involved anything deeper and more serious than the complications of business and the knotty combinations of weighty affairs.
Wearied out--for he had been up the greater part of the night--and fatigued, he fell off at last into a heavy sleep, from which he was awoke by Nelly, who, gently leaning on his shoulder, whispered, "Mr.
Sedley has come, Gusty; he is at supper in the oak parlor. I told him I thought you had gone to lie down for an hour, for I knew you were tired."
"No, not tired, Nelly," said he, arousing himself, half-ashamed of being caught asleep. "I came in here to think, and I believe I dropped into a doze. What is he like,--this Mr. Sedley? What manner of man is he?"
"He is small and gray, with a slight stoop, and a formal sort of manner. I don"t like him. I mean his manner checked and repelled me, and I was glad to get away from him."
"My father thinks highly of his integrity, I know."
"Yes, I am aware of that. He is an excellent person, I believe; rather non-attractive."
"Well," said he, with a half-sigh, "I"ll go and see whether my impression of him be the same as yours. Will you come in, Nelly?"
"Not unless you particularly wish it," said she, gravely.
"No; I make no point of it, Nelly. I "ll see you again by-and-by."
Augustus found Mr. Sedley over his wine He had despatched a hasty meal, and was engaged looking over a ma.s.s of papers and letters with which a black leather bag at his side seemed to be filled. After a few words of greeting, received by the visitor with a formal politeness, Augustus proceeded to explain how his father"s state precluded all questions of business, and that the injunctions of the doctor were positive on this head.
"His mind is clear, however, isn"t it?" asked Sedley.
"Perfectly. He has never wandered, except in the few moments after sleep."
"I take it I shall be permitted to see him?"
"Certainly; if the doctor makes no objection, you shall."
"And possibly, too, I may be allowed to ask him a question or two?
Matters which I know he will be well prepared to answer me."
"I am not so confident about that. Within the last hour Doctor Belton has declared perfect quiet, perfect repose, to be of the utmost importance to my father."
"Is it not possible, Mr. Bramleigh, that I may be able to contribute to this state by setting your father"s mind at rest, with reference to what may press very heavily on him?"