So the years went by till the pair were seventeen, young man and youngwoman, though still called boy and girl. They were good-looking intheir respective ways though yet unformed; tall and straight, too, bothof them, but singularly dissimilar in appearance as well as in mind.Godfrey was dark, pale and thoughtful-faced. Isobel was fair,vivacious, open-natured, amusing, and given to saying the first thingthat came to her tongue. She had few reservations; her thoughts mightbe read in her large grey eyes before they were heard from her lips,which generally was not long afterwards. Also she was very able. Sheread and understood the papers and followed all the movements of theday with a lively interest, especially if these had to do with nationalaffairs or with women and their status.
Business, too, came naturally to her, so much so that her father wouldconsult her about his undertakings, that is, about those of them whichwere absolutely above board and beyond suspicion of sharp dealing. Theothers he was far too wise to bring within her ken, knowing exactlywhat he would have heard from her upon the subject. And yetnotwithstanding all his care she suspected him, by instinct, not byknowledge. For his part he was proud of her and would listen withpleasure when, still a mere child, she engaged his guests boldly inargument, for instance a bishop or a dean on theology, or a statesmanon current politics. Already he had formed great plans for her future;she was to marry a peer who took an active part in things, or at anyrate a leading politician, and to become a power in the land. But ofthis, too, wisely he said nothing to Isobel, for the time had not yetcome.
During these years things had prospered exceedingly with John Blake whowas now a very rich man with ships owned, or partly owned by him onevery sea. On several occasions he had been asked to stand forParliament and declined the honour. He knew himself to be no speaker,and was sure also that he could not attend both to the affairs of thecountry and to those of his ever-spreading business. So he took anothercourse and began to support the Conservative Party, which he selectedas the safest, by means of large subscriptions.
He did more, he bought a baronetcy, for only thus can the transactionbe described. When a General Election was drawing near, one eveningafter dinner at Hawk's Hall he had a purely business conversation witha political Whip who, perhaps not without motive, had been complainingto him of the depleted state of the Party Chest.
"Well," said Mr. Blake, "you know that my principles are yours and thatI should like to help your, or rather our cause. Money is tight with mejust now and the outlook is very bad in my trade, but I'm a man whoalways backs his fancy; in short, would L15,000 be of use?"
The Whip intimated that it would be of the greatest use.
"Of course," continued Mr. Blake, "I presume that the usualacknowledgment would follow?"
"What acknowledgment?" asked the Whip sipping his port wearily, forsuch negotiations were no new thing to him. "I mean, how do you spellit?"
"With a P," said Mr. Blake boldly, acting on his usual principle ofasking for more than he hoped to get.
The Whip contemplated him through his eyeglass with a mild andinterested stare.
"Out of the question, my dear fellow," he said. "That box is full andlocked, and there's a long outside list waiting as well. Perhaps youmean with a K. You know money isn't everything, as some of yougentlemen seem to think, and if it were, you would have said fiftyinstead of fifteen."
"K be damned!" replied Mr. Blake. "I'm not a mayor or an actor-manager.Let's say B, that stands for Beginning as well as Baronet; also itcomes before P, doesn't it?"
"Well, let's see. You haven't a son, have you? Then perhaps it might bemanaged," replied the Whip with gentle but pointed insolence, for Mr.Blake annoyed him. "I'll make inquiries, and now, shall we join theladies? I want to continue my conversation with your daughter about thecorruption which some enemy, taking advantage of her innocence, haspersuaded her exists in the Conservative Party. She is a clever younglady and makes out a good case against us, though I am sure I do notknow whence she got her information. Not from you, I suppose, SirJohn--I beg your pardon, Mr. Blake."
So the matter was settled, as both of them knew it would be when theyleft the room. The cash found its way into some nebulous account thatnobody could have identified with any party, and in the DissolutionHonours, John Blake, Esq., J.P., was transformed into Sir John Blake,Bart.; information that left tens of thousands of the students of thelist mildly marvelling why. As the same wonder struck them regardingthe vast majority of the names which appeared therein, this, however,did not matter. They presumed, good, easy souls, that John Blake, Esq.,J.P., and the rest were patriots who for long years had been workingfor the good of their country, and that what they had done in secrethad been discovered in high places and was now proclaimed from thehousetops.
Lady Jane was inclined to share this view. She knew that a great dealof her husband's money went into mysterious channels of which she wasunable to trace the ends, and concluded in her Victorian-wife kind offashion, or at any rate hoped, that it was spent in alleviating thedistress of the "Submerged Tenth" which at that time was much inevidence. Hence no doubt the gracious recognition that had come to him.John Blake himself, who paid over the cash, naturally had no suchdelusions, and unfortunately in that moment of exultation, when hecontemplated his own name adorning the lists in every newspaper, letout the truth at breakfast at which Isobel was his sole companion. Forby this time Lady Jane had grown too delicate to come down early.
"Well, you've got a baronet for a father now, my girl"--to be accuratehe called it a "bart."--he said puffing himself out like a great toadbefore the fire, as he threw down the _Daily News_ in which his namewas icily ignored in a spiteful leaderette about the Honours List, uponthe top of _The Times_, _The Standard_, and _The Morning Post_.
"Oh!" said Isobel in an interested voice and paused.
"It's wonderful what money can do," went on her father, who wasinclined for a discussion, and saw no other way of opening up thesubject. "Certain qualifications of which it does not become me tospeak, and a good subscription to the Party funds, and there you arewith Bart. instead of Esq. after your name and Sir before it. I wonderwhen I shall get the Patent? You know baronets do not receive theaccolade."
"Don't they?" commented Isobel. "Well, that saves the Queen sometrouble of which she must be glad as she does not get the subscription.I know all about the accolade," she added; "for Godfrey has told me.Only the other day he was showing me in the Abbey Church where thewarriors who were to receive it, knelt all night before the altar. Butthey didn't give subscriptions, they prayed and afterwards took a coldbath."
"Times are changed," he answered.
"Yes, of course. I can't see _you_ kneeling all night with a white robeon, Father, in prayer before an altar. But tell me, would they havemade you a baronet if you hadn't given the subscription?"
Sir John chuckled till his great form shook--he had grown very stout oflate years.
"I think you are sharp enough to answer that question for yourself. Ihave observed, Isobel, that you know as much of the world as most younggirls of your age."
"So you bought the thing," she exclaimed with a flash of her grey eyes."I thought that honours were given because they were earned."
"Did you?" said Sir John, chuckling again. "Well, now you know better.Look here, Isobel, don't be a fool. Honours, or most of them, likeother things, are for those who can pay for them in this way or that.Nobody bothers how they come so long as they _do_ come. Now, listen.Unfortunately, as a girl, you can't inherit this title. But it doesn'tmatter much, since it will be easy for you to get one for yourself."
Isobel turned red and uttered an exclamation, but enjoining silence onher with a wave of his fat hand, her father went on:
"I haven't done so badly, my dear, considering my chances. I don't mindtelling you that I am a rich man now, indeed a very rich man as thingsgo, and I shall be much richer, for nothing pays like ships, especiallyif you man them with foreign crews. Also I am a Bart," and he pointedto the pile of newspapers on the fl
oor, "and if my Party gets in again,before long I shall be a Lord, which would make you an Honourable.Anyway, my girl, although you ain't exactly a beauty," here heconsidered her with a critical eye, "you'll make a fine figure of awoman and with your money, you should be able to get any husband youlike. What's more," and he banged his fist upon the table, "I expectyou to do it; that's your part of the family business. Do youunderstand?"
"I understand, Father, that you expect me to get any husband I like.Well, I'll promise that."
"I think you ought to come into the office, you are so smart," repliedSir John with sarcasm. "But don't you try it on me, for I'm smarter.You know very well that I mean any husband _I_ like, when I say 'anyhusband you like.' Now do you understand?"
"Yes," replied Isobel icily. "I understand that you want to buy me ahusband as you have bought a title. Well, titles and husbands are alikein one thing; once taken you can never be rid of them day or night. SoI'll say at once, to save trouble afterwards, that I would rather earnmy living as a farm girl, and as for your money, Father, you can dowhat you wish with it."
Then looking him straight in the eyes, she turned and left the room.
"An odd child!" thought Sir John to himself as he stared after her."Anyway, she has got spirit and no doubt will come all right in timewhen she learns what's what."