The Way We Live Now

  CHAPTER X.

  MR. FISKER'S SUCCESS.

  Mr. Fisker was fully satisfied with the progress he had made, buthe never quite succeeded in reconciling Paul Montague to the wholetransaction. Mr. Melmotte was indeed so great a reality, such a factin the commercial world of London, that it was no longer possible forsuch a one as Montague to refuse to believe in the scheme. Melmottehad the telegraph at his command, and had been able to make as closeinquiries as though San Francisco and Salt Lake City had been suburbsof London. He was chairman of the British branch of the Company, andhad had shares allocated to him,--or as he said to the house,--to theextent of two millions of dollars. But still there was a feeling ofdoubt, and a consciousness that Melmotte, though a tower of strength,was thought by many to have been built upon the sands.

  Paul had now of course given his full authority to the work, muchin opposition to the advice of his old friend Roger Carbury,--andhad come up to live in town, that he might personally attend tothe affairs of the great railway. There was an office just behindthe Exchange, with two or three clerks and a secretary, the latterposition being held by Miles Grendall, Esq. Paul, who had aconscience in the matter and was keenly alive to the fact that he wasnot only a director but was also one of the firm of Fisker, Montague,and Montague which was responsible for the whole affair, wasgrievously anxious to be really at work, and would attend mostinopportunely at the Company's offices. Fisker, who still lingered inLondon, did his best to put a stop to this folly, and on more thanone occasion somewhat snubbed his partner. "My dear fellow, what'sthe use of your flurrying yourself? In a thing of this kind, when ithas once been set agoing, there is nothing else to do. You may haveto work your fingers off before you can make it move, and then fail.But all that has been done for you. If you go there on the Thursdaysthat's quite as much as you need do. You don't suppose that sucha man as Melmotte would put up with any real interference." Paulendeavoured to assert himself, declaring that as one of the managershe meant to take a part in the management;--that his fortune, such asit was, had been embarked in the matter, and was as important to himas was Mr. Melmotte's fortune to Mr. Melmotte. But Fisker got thebetter of him and put him down. "Fortune! what fortune had either ofus? a few beggarly thousands of dollars not worth talking of, andbarely sufficient to enable a man to look at an enterprise. And nowwhere are you? Look here, sir;--there's more to be got out of thesmashing up of such an affair as this, if it should smash up, thancould be made by years of hard work out of such fortunes as yours andmine in the regular way of trade."

  Paul Montague certainly did not love Mr. Fisker personally, nor didhe relish his commercial doctrines; but he allowed himself to becarried away by them. "When and how was I to have helped myself?" hewrote to Roger Carbury. "The money had been raised and spent beforethis man came here at all. It's all very well to say that he had noright to do it; but he had done it. I couldn't even have gone to lawwith him without going over to California, and then I should havegot no redress." Through it all he disliked Fisker, and yet Fiskerhad one great merit which certainly recommended itself warmly toMontague's appreciation. Though he denied the propriety of Paul'sinterference in the business, he quite acknowledged Paul's right to ashare in the existing dash of prosperity. As to the real facts of themoney affairs of the firm he would tell Paul nothing. But he was wellprovided with money himself, and took care that his partner should bein the same position. He paid him all the arrears of his stipulatedincome up to the present moment, and put him nominally intopossession of a large number of shares in the railway,--with,however, an understanding that he was not to sell them till they hadreached ten per cent. above par, and that in any sale transacted hewas to touch no other money than the amount of profit which wouldthus accrue. What Melmotte was to be allowed to do with his shares,he never heard. As far as Montague could understand, Melmotte was intruth to be powerful over everything. All this made the young manunhappy, restless, and extravagant. He was living in London and hadmoney at command, but he never could rid himself of the fear thatthe whole affair might tumble to pieces beneath his feet and that hemight be stigmatised as one among a gang of swindlers.

  We all know how, in such circumstances, by far the greater proportionof a man's life will be given up to the enjoyments that are offeredto him and the lesser proportion to the cares, sacrifices, andsorrows. Had this young director been describing to his intimatefriend the condition in which he found himself, he would havedeclared himself to be distracted by doubts, suspicions, and fearstill his life was a burden to him. And yet they who were living withhim at this time found him to be a very pleasant fellow, fond ofamusement, and disposed to make the most of all the good things whichcame in his way. Under the auspices of Sir Felix Carbury he hadbecome a member of the Beargarden, at which best of all possibleclubs the mode of entrance was as irregular as its other proceedings.When any young man desired to come in who was thought to be unfitfor its style of living, it was shown to him that it would takethree years before his name could be brought up at the usual rateof vacancies; but in regard to desirable companions the committeehad a power of putting them at the top of the list of candidates andbringing them in at once. Paul Montague had suddenly become creditedwith considerable commercial wealth and greater commercial influence.He sat at the same Board with Melmotte and Melmotte's men; and was onthis account elected at the Beargarden without any of that harassingdelay to which other less fortunate candidates are subjected.

  And,--let it be said with regret, for Paul Montague was at hearthonest and well-conditioned,--he took to living a good deal at theBeargarden. A man must dine somewhere, and everybody knows that a mandines cheaper at his club than elsewhere. It was thus he reasonedwith himself. But Paul's dinners at the Beargarden were not cheap. Hesaw a good deal of his brother directors, Sir Felix Carbury and LordNidderdale, entertained Lord Alfred more than once at the club, andhad twice dined with his great chairman amidst all the magnificenceof merchant-princely hospitality in Grosvenor Square. It had indeedbeen suggested to him by Mr. Fisker that he also ought to enterhimself for the great Marie Melmotte plate. Lord Nidderdale had againdeclared his intention of running, owing to considerable pressure putupon him by certain interested tradesmen, and with this intentionhad become one of the directors of the Mexican Railway Company. Atthe time, however, of which we are now writing, Sir Felix was thefavourite for the race among fashionable circles generally.

  The middle of April had come, and Fisker was still in London. Whenmillions of dollars are at stake,--belonging perhaps to widowsand orphans, as Fisker remarked,--a man was forced to set his ownconvenience on one side. But this devotion was not left withoutreward, for Mr. Fisker had "a good time" in London. He also was madefree of the Beargarden, as an honorary member, and he also spenta good deal of money. But there is this comfort in great affairs,that whatever you spend on yourself can be no more than a trifle.Champagne and ginger-beer are all the same when you stand to win orlose thousands,--with this only difference, that champagne may havedeteriorating results which the more innocent beverage will notproduce. The feeling that the greatness of these operations relievedthem from the necessity of looking to small expenses operated in thechampagne direction, both on Fisker and Montague, and the result wasdeleterious. The Beargarden, no doubt, was a more lively place thanCarbury Manor, but Montague found that he could not wake up on theseLondon mornings with thoughts as satisfactory as those which attendedhis pillow at the old Manor House.

  On Saturday, the 19th of April, Fisker was to leave London on hisreturn to New York, and on the 18th a farewell dinner was to be givento him at the club. Mr. Melmotte was asked to meet him, and on suchan occasion all the resources of the club were to be brought forth.Lord Alfred Grendall was also to be a guest, and Mr. Cohenlupe, whowent about a good deal with Melmotte. Nidderdale, Carbury, Montague,and Miles Grendall were members of the club, and gave the dinner. Noexpense was spared. Herr Vossner purveyed the viands and wines,--andpaid for them. Lord Nidderdale took the chair, with Fisker on hi
sright hand, and Melmotte on his left, and, for a fast-going younglord, was supposed to have done the thing well. There were only twotoasts drunk, to the healths of Mr. Melmotte and Mr. Fisker, and twospeeches were of course made by them. Mr. Melmotte may have been heldto have clearly proved the genuineness of that English birth whichhe claimed by the awkwardness and incapacity which he showed on theoccasion. He stood with his hands on the table and with his faceturned to his plate blurted out his assurance that the floating ofthis railway company would be one of the greatest and most successfulcommercial operations ever conducted on either side of the Atlantic.It was a great thing,--a very great thing;--he had no hesitation insaying that it was one of the greatest things out. He didn't believea greater thing had ever come out. He was happy to give his humbleassistance to the furtherance of so great a thing,--and so on. Theseassertions, not varying much one from the other, he jerked out likeso many separate interjections, endeavouring to look his friends inthe face at each, and then turning his countenance back to his plateas though seeking for inspiration for the next attempt. He was noteloquent; but the gentlemen who heard him remembered that he was thegreat Augustus Melmotte, that he might probably make them all richmen, and they cheered him to the echo. Lord Alfred had reconciledhimself to be called by his Christian name, since he had been put inthe way of raising two or three hundred pounds on the security ofshares which were to be allotted to him, but of which in the fleshhe had as yet seen nothing. Wonderful are the ways of trade! If onecan only get the tip of one's little finger into the right pie,what noble morsels, what rich esculents, will stick to it as it isextracted!

  When Melmotte sat down Fisker made his speech, and it was fluent,fast, and florid. Without giving it word for word, which would betedious, I could not adequately set before the reader's eye thespeaker's pleasing picture of world-wide commercial love and harmonywhich was to be produced by a railway from Salt Lake City to VeraCruz, nor explain the extent of gratitude from the world at largewhich might be claimed by, and would finally be accorded to, thegreat firms of Melmotte & Co. of London, and Fisker, Montague, andMontague of San Francisco. Mr. Fisker's arms were waved gracefullyabout. His head was turned now this way and now that, but nevertowards his plate. It was very well done. But there was more faithin one ponderous word from Mr. Melmotte's mouth than in all theAmerican's oratory.

  There was not one of them then present who had not after some fashionbeen given to understand that his fortune was to be made, not bythe construction of the railway, but by the floating of the railwayshares. They had all whispered to each other their convictions onthis head. Even Montague did not beguile himself into an idea that hewas really a director in a company to be employed in the making andworking of a railway. People out of doors were to be advertised intobuying shares, and they who were so to say indoors were to have theprivilege of manufacturing the shares thus to be sold. That was tobe their work, and they all knew it. But now, as there were eight ofthem collected together, they talked of humanity at large and of thecoming harmony of nations.

  After the first cigar, Melmotte withdrew, and Lord Alfred went withhim. Lord Alfred would have liked to remain, being a man who enjoyedtobacco and soda and brandy,--but momentous days had come upon him,and he thought it well to cling to his Melmotte. Mr. Samuel Cohenlupealso went, not having taken a very distinguished part in theentertainment. Then the young men were left alone, and it was soonproposed that they should adjourn to the cardroom. It had been ratherhoped that Fisker would go with the elders. Nidderdale, who did notunderstand much about the races of mankind, had his doubts whetherthe American gentleman might not be a "Heathen Chinee," such as hehad read of in poetry. But Mr. Fisker liked to have his amusementas well as did the others, and went up resolutely into the cardroom.Here they were joined by Lord Grasslough, and were very quickly atwork, having chosen loo as their game. Mr. Fisker made an allusion topoker as a desirable pastime, but Lord Nidderdale, remembering hispoetry, shook his head. "Oh! bother," he said, "let's have some gamethat Christians play." Mr. Fisker declared himself ready for anygame,--irrespective of religious prejudices.

  It must be explained that the gambling at the Beargarden had goneon with very little interruption, and that on the whole Sir FelixCarbury kept his luck. There had of course been vicissitudes, buthis star had been in the ascendant. For some nights together thishad been so continual that Mr. Miles Grendall had suggested to hisfriend Lord Grasslough that there must be foul play. Lord Grasslough,who had not many good gifts, was, at least, not suspicious, andrepudiated the idea. "We'll keep an eye on him," Miles Grendall hadsaid. "You may do as you like, but I'm not going to watch any one,"Grasslough had replied. Miles had watched, and had watched in vain,and it may as well be said at once that Sir Felix, with all hisfaults, was not as yet a blackleg. Both of them now owed Sir Felix aconsiderable sum of money, as did also Dolly Longestaffe, who was notpresent on this occasion. Latterly very little ready money had passedhands,--very little in proportion to the sums which had been writtendown on paper,--though Sir Felix was still so well in funds as tofeel himself justified in repudiating any caution that his mothermight give him.

  When I.O.U.'s have for some time passed freely in such a company asthat now assembled the sudden introduction of a stranger is verydisagreeable, particularly when that stranger intends to start forSan Francisco on the following morning. If it could be arrangedthat the stranger should certainly lose, no doubt then he would beregarded as a godsend. Such strangers have ready money in theirpockets, a portion of which would be felt to descend like a softshower in a time of drought. When these dealings in unsecured paperhave been going on for a considerable time real bank notes come tohave a loveliness which they never possessed before. But should thestranger win, then there may arise complications incapable of anycomfortable solution. In such a state of things some Herr Vossnermust be called in, whose terms are apt to be ruinous. On thisoccasion things did not arrange themselves comfortably. From thevery commencement Fisker won, and quite a budget of little papersfell into his possession, many of which were passed to him from thehands of Sir Felix,--bearing, however, a "G" intended to stand forGrasslough, or an "N" for Nidderdale, or a wonderful hieroglyphicwhich was known at the Beargarden to mean D. L----, or DollyLongestaffe, the fabricator of which was not present on the occasion.Then there was the M. G. of Miles Grendall, which was a species ofpaper peculiarly plentiful and very unattractive on these commercialoccasions. Paul Montague hitherto had never given an I.O.U. atthe Beargarden,--nor of late had our friend Sir Felix. On thepresent occasion Montague won, though not heavily. Sir Felix lostcontinually, and was almost the only loser. But Mr. Fisker won nearlyall that was lost. He was to start for Liverpool by train at 8.30A.M., and at 6 A.M. he counted up his bits of paper and found himselfthe winner of about L600. "I think that most of them came from you,Sir Felix," he said,--handing the bundle across the table.

  "I dare say they did, but they are all good against these otherfellows." Then Fisker, with most perfect good humour, extracted onefrom the mass which indicated Dolly Longestaffe's indebtedness to theamount of L50. "That's Longestaffe," said Felix, "and I'll changethat of course." Then out of his pocket-book he extracted otherminute documents bearing that M. G. which was so little esteemedamong them,--and so made up the sum. "You seem to have L150 fromGrasslough, L145 from Nidderdale, and L322 10_s._ from Grendall,"said the baronet. Then Sir Felix got up as though he had paid hisscore. Fisker, with smiling good humour, arranged the little bits ofpaper before him and looked round upon the company.

  "This won't do, you know," said Nidderdale. "Mr. Fisker must have hismoney before he leaves. You've got it, Carbury."

  "Of course he has," said Grasslough.

  "As it happens I have not," said Sir Felix;--"but what if I had?"

  "Mr. Fisker starts for New York immediately," said Lord Nidderdale."I suppose we can muster L600 among us. Ring the bell for Vossner.I think Carbury ought to pay the money as he lost it, and we didn'texpect to have our I.O.U.'s brought up
in this way."

  "Lord Nidderdale," said Sir Felix, "I have already said that I havenot got the money about me. Why should I have it more than you,especially as I knew I had I.O.U.'s more than sufficient to meetanything I could lose when I sat down?"

  "Mr. Fisker must have his money at any rate," said Lord Nidderdale,ringing the bell again.

  "It doesn't matter one straw, my lord," said the American. "Let it besent to me to Frisco, in a bill, my lord." And so he got up to takehis hat, greatly to the delight of Miles Grendall.

  But the two young lords would not agree to this. "If you must gothis very minute I'll meet you at the train with the money," saidNidderdale. Fisker begged that no such trouble should be taken. Ofcourse he would wait ten minutes if they wished. But the affair wasone of no consequence. Wasn't the post running every day? Then HerrVossner came from his bed, suddenly arrayed in a dressing-gown, andthere was a conference in a corner between him, the two lords, andMr. Grendall. In a very few minutes Herr Vossner wrote a chequefor the amount due by the lords, but he was afraid that he had notmoney at his banker's sufficient for the greater claim. It was wellunderstood that Herr Vossner would not advance money to Mr. Grendallunless others would pledge themselves for the amount.

  "I suppose I'd better send you a bill over to America," said MilesGrendall, who had taken no part in the matter as long as he was inthe same boat with the lords.

  "Just so. My partner, Montague, will tell you the address." Thenbustling off, taking an affectionate adieu of Paul, shaking handswith them all round, and looking as though he cared nothing for themoney, he took his leave. "One cheer for the South Central Pacificand Mexican Railway," he said as he went out of the room.

  Not one there had liked Fisker. His manners were not as theirmanners; his waistcoat not as their waistcoats. He smoked his cigarafter a fashion different from theirs, and spat upon the carpet. Hesaid "my lord" too often, and grated their prejudices equally whetherhe treated them with familiarity or deference. But he had behavedwell about the money, and they felt that they were behaving badly.Sir Felix was the immediate offender, as he should have understoodthat he was not entitled to pay a stranger with documents which, bytacit contract, were held to be good among themselves. But there wasno use now in going back to that. Something must be done.

  "Vossner must get the money," said Nidderdale. "Let's have him upagain."

  "I don't think it's my fault," said Miles. "Of course no one thoughthe was to be called upon in this sort of way."

  "Why shouldn't you be called upon?" said Carbury. "You acknowledgethat you owe the money."

  "I think Carbury ought to have paid it," said Grasslough.

  "Grassy, my boy," said the baronet, "your attempts at thinking arenever worth much. Why was I to suppose that a stranger would beplaying among us? Had you a lot of ready money with you to pay if youhad lost it? I don't always walk about with six hundred pounds in mypocket;--nor do you!"

  "It's no good jawing," said Nidderdale; "let's get the money." ThenMontague offered to undertake the debt himself, saying that therewere money transactions between him and his partner. But this couldnot be allowed. He had only lately come among them, had as yet had nodealing in I.O.U.'s, and was the last man in the company who oughtto be made responsible for the impecuniosity of Miles Grendall. He,the impecunious one,--the one whose impecuniosity extended to theabsolute want of credit,--sat silent, stroking his heavy moustache.

  There was a second conference between Herr Vossner and the twolords in another room, which ended in the preparation of a documentby which Miles Grendall undertook to pay to Herr Vossner L450 atthe end of three months, and this was endorsed by the two lords,by Sir Felix, and by Paul Montague; and in return for this theGerman produced L322 10_s._ in notes and gold. This had taken someconsiderable time. Then a cup of tea was prepared and swallowed;after which Nidderdale, with Montague, started off to meet Fisker atthe railway station. "It'll only be a trifle over L100 each," saidNidderdale, in the cab.

  "Won't Mr. Grendall pay it?"

  "Oh, dear no. How the devil should he?"

  "Then he shouldn't play."

  "That 'd be hard on him, poor fellow. If you went to his uncle theduke, I suppose you could get it. Or Buntingford might put it rightfor you. Perhaps he might win, you know, some day, and then he'd makeit square. He'd be fair enough if he had it. Poor Miles!"

  They found Fisker wonderfully brilliant with bright rugs, andgreatcoats with silk linings. "We've brought you the tin," saidNidderdale, accosting him on the platform.

  "Upon my word, my lord, I'm sorry you have taken so much troubleabout such a trifle."

  "A man should always have his money when he wins."

  "We don't think anything about such little matters at Frisco, mylord."

  "You're fine fellows at Frisco, I dare say. Here we pay up,--when wecan. Sometimes we can't, and then it is not pleasant." Fresh adieuswere made between the two partners, and between the American and thelord;--and then Fisker was taken off on his way towards Frisco. "He'snot half a bad fellow, but he's not a bit like an Englishman," saidLord Nidderdale, as he walked out of the station.