Chapter 88
"Dev'lish sorry, Mrs. Brixham; pray take a chair. What can I do?"
"Could you not intercede with him for us? George will give half his allowance; my daughter can send something. If you will but stay on, sir, and pay a quarter's rent in advance--"
"My good madam, I would as soon give you a quarter in advance as not, if I were going to stay in the lodgings. But I can't; and I can't afford to fling away twenty pounds, my good madam. I'm a poor half-pay officer, and want every s.h.i.+lling I have, begad. As far as a few pounds goes--say five pounds--I don't say--and shall be most happy, and that sort of thing: and I'll give it you in the morning with pleasure: but--but it's getting late, and I have made a railroad journey."
"G.o.d's will be done, sir," said the poor woman, drying her tears. "I must bear my fate."
"And a dev'lish hard one it is, and most sincerely I pity you, Mrs.
Brixham. I--I'll say ten pounds, if you will permit me. Good night."
"Mr. Morgan, sir, when he came down stairs, and when--when I besought him to have pity on me, and told him he had been the ruin of my family, said something which I did not well understand--that he would ruin every family in the house--that he knew something would bring you down too--and that you should pay him for your--your insolence to him.
I--I must own to you, that I went down on my knees to him, sir; and he said, with a dreadful oath against you, that he would have you on your knees."
"Me?--by Gad, that is too pleasant! Where is the confounded fellow?"
"He went away, sir. He said he should see you in the morning. O, pray try and pacify him, and save me and my poor boy." And the widow went away with this prayer, to pa.s.s her night as she might, and look for the dreadful morrow.
The last words about himself excited Major Pendennis so much, that his compa.s.sion for Mrs. Brixham's misfortunes was quite forgotten in the consideration of his own case.
"Me on my knees?" thought he, as he got into bed: "confound his impudence. Who ever saw me on my knees? What the devil does the fellow know? Gad, I've not had an affair these twenty years. I defy him." And the old campaigner turned round and slept pretty sound, being rather excited and amused by the events of the day--the last day in Bury-street, he was determined it should be. "For it's impossible to stay on with a valet over me and a bankrupt landlady. What good can I do this poor devil of a woman? I'll give her twenty pound--there's Warrington's twenty pound, which he has just paid--but what's the use? She'll want more, and more, and more, and that cormorant Morgan will swallow all. No, dammy, I can't afford to know poor people; and to-morrow I'll say good-by--to Mrs. Brixham and Mr. Morgan."
CHAPTER x.x.x.
IN WHICH THE MAJOR NEITHER YIELDS HIS MONEY NOR HIS LIFE.
[Ill.u.s.tration]
Early next morning Pendennis's shutters were opened by Morgan, who appeared as usual, with a face perfectly grave and respectful, bearing with him the old gentleman's clothes, cans of water, and elaborate toilet requisites.
"It's you, is it?" said the old fellow from his bed. "I shan't take you back again, you understand."
"I ave not the least wish to be took back agin, Major Pendennis," Mr.
Morgan said, with grave dignity, "nor to serve you nor hany man. But as I wish you to be comftable as long as you stay in my house, I came up to do what's nessary." And once more, and for the last time, Mr.
James Morgan laid out the silver dressing-case, and strapped the s.h.i.+ning razor.
These offices concluded, he addressed himself to the major with an indescribable solemnity, and said: "Thinkin' that you would most likely be in want of a respectable pusson, until you suited yourself, I spoke to a young man last night, who is 'ere."
"Indeed," said the warrior in the tent-bed.
"He ave lived in the fust families, and I can vouch for his respectability."
"You are monstrous polite," grinned the
Frosch, that he, Morgan, had "a devil of a blow hup with his own Gov'ner and was goin' to retire from the business haltogether, and that if Frosch wanted a tempory job, he might probbly have it by applying in Bury street."
"You are very polite," said the major, "and your recommendation, I am sure, will have every weight."
Morgan blushed, he felt his master was "a-chaffin' of him." "The man have waited on you before, sir," he said with great dignity. "Lord De la Pole, sir, gave him to his nephew young Lord Cubley, and he have been with him on his foring tour, and not wis.h.i.+ng to go to Fitzurse Castle, which Frosch's chest is delicate, and he can not bear the cold in Scotland, he is free to serve you or not, as you choose."
"I repeat, sir, that you are exceedingly polite," said the major.
"Come in, Frosch--you will do very well--Mr. Morgan, will you have the great kindness to--"
"I shall show him what is nessary, sir, and what is customry for you to wish to ave done. Will you please to take breakfast 'ere or at the Club, Major Pendennis?"
"With your kind permission, I will breakfast here, and afterward we will make our little arrangements."
"If you please, sir."
"Will you now oblige me by leaving the room?"
Morgan withdrew; the excessive politeness of his ex-employer made him almost as angry as the major's bitterest words. And while the old gentleman is making his mysterious toilet, we will also modestly retire.
After breakfast, Major Pendennis and his new aid-de-camp occupied themselves in preparing for their departure. The establishment of the old bachelor was not very complicated. He enc.u.mbered himself with no useless wardrobe. A Bible (his mother's), a road-book, Pen's novel (calf elegant), and the Duke of Wellington's Dispatches, with a few prints, maps, and portraits of that ill.u.s.trious general, and of various sovereigns and consorts of this country, and of the general under whom Major Pendennis had served in India, formed his literary and artistical collection; he was always ready to march at a few hours' notice, and the cases in which he had brought his property into his lodgings some fifteen years before, were still in the lofts amply sufficient to receive all his goods. These, the young woman who did the work of the house, and who was known by the name of Betty to her mistress, and of 'Slavey' to Mr. Morgan, brought down from their resting place, and obediently dusted and cleaned under the eyes of the terrible Morgan. His demeanor was guarded and solemn; he had spoken no word as yet to Mrs. Brixham respecting his threats of the past night, but he looked as if he would execute them, and the poor widow tremblingly awaited her fate.
Old Pendennis, armed with his cane, superintended the package of his goods and chattels under the hands of Mr. Frosch, and the Slavey burned such of his papers as he did not care to keep; flung open doors and closets until they were all empty; and now all boxes and chests were closed, except his desk, which was ready to receive the final accounts of Mr. Morgan.
That individual now made his appearance, and brought his books. "As I wish to speak to you in privick, peraps you will ave the kindness to request Frosch to step down stairs," he said, on entering.
"Bring a couple of cabs, Frosch, if you please--and wait down stairs until I ring for you," said the major. Morgan saw Frosch down stairs, watched him go along the street upon his errand and produced his books and accounts, which were simple and very easily settled.
"And now, sir," said he, having pocketed the check which his ex-employer gave him, and signed his name to his book with a flourish, "and now that accounts is closed between us, sir," he said, "I porpose to speak to you as one man to another" (Morgan liked the sound of his own voice; and, as an individual, indulged in public speaking whenever he could get an opportunity, at the Club, or the housekeeper's room), "and I must tell you, that I'm in _possussion of certing information._"
"And may I inquire of what nature, pray?" asked the major.
"It's valuble information, Major Pendennis, as you know very well I know of a marriage as is no marriage--of a honorable baronet as is no more married than I am; and which his wife is married to somebody else, as you know too, sir."
Pendennis at once understood all. "Ha! this accounts for your behavior. You have been listening at the door, sir, I suppose," said the major, looking very haughty; "I forgot to look at the key-hole when I went to that public-house, or I might have suspected what sort of person was behind it."
"I may have my schemes as you may have yours, I suppose," answered Morgan. "I may get my information, and I may act on that information, and I may find that information valuble as any body else may. A poor servant may have a bit of luck as well as a gentleman, mayn't he?
Don't you be putting on your aughty looks, sir, and comin' the aristocrat over me. That's all gammon with me. I'm an Englishman, I am, and as good as you."
"To what the devil does this tend, sir? and how does the secret which you have surprised concern me, I should like to know?" asked Major Pendennis, with great majesty.
"How does it concern me, indeed? how grand we are! how does it concern my nephew, I wonder? How does it concern my nephew's seat in Parlyment: and to subornation of bigamy? How does it concern that?
What, are you to be the only man to have a secret, and to trade on it?
Why shouldn't I go halves, Major Pendennis? I've found it out too.
Look here! I ain't goin' to be unreasonable with you. Make it worth my while, and I'll keep the thing close. Let Mr. Arthur take his seat, and his rich wife, if you like; I don't want to marry her. But I will have my share as sure as my name's James Morgan. And if I don't--"
"And if you don't, sir--what?" Pendennis asked. "If I don't, I split, and tell all. I smash Clavering, and have him and his wife up for bigamy--so help me, I will! I smash young Hopeful's marriage, and I show up you and him as makin' use of this secret, in order to squeeze a seat in Parlyment out of Sir Francis, and a fortune out of his wife."
"Mr. Pendennis knows no more of this business than the babe unborn, sir," cried the major, aghast. "No more than Lady Clavering, than Miss Amory does."
"Tell that to the marines, major," replied the valet; "that c.o.c.k won't fight with me."
"Do you doubt my word, you villain?"