CHAPTER XIX
The demand from Bennet was contained in a short letter, and the sum heasked for was ten thousand pounds.
With a curt explanation that a horse on which he had put a great deal ofmoney had disappointed him, he said it was now necessary for him to havethis amount immediately. He went on to say that he knew they, hissolicitors, had no ready money of his in their hands, but they wouldundoubtedly be able to advance it on the security of Beauclerk Mansions,which he directed them to sell. However, to sell them to the bestadvantage might take some time. Would they, therefore, anticipate theproceeds of the sale to the extent of the sum asked for, and repaythemselves afterwards when the sale was effected? He was sure that theMansions would fetch far more than ten thousand pounds.
Though the period had been marked by events so important as to cause itto seem of considerable length, but a few weeks in reality had elapsedsince Harry Bennet had proposed to and been rejected by Kitty Thornton.Like all the world, Bennet was not ignorant of what had happened in theEversleigh circle, but he was completely absorbed by his turfspeculations. He had not quite forgotten his purpose of being revengedon Gilbert, but for the time it slumbered.
After Goodwood, all through the month of August, Bennet followed theround of race-meetings with unimpaired zest; sometimes he was successfulin his bets, but far more frequently he was a heavy loser. He had soonspent the considerable sum he had made during his Goodwood campaign, andnow was hard pressed for funds. He had already managed to dissipate thewhole of his once extensive patrimony, with the exception of the largeblock of flats called Beauclerk Mansions, which he now told hissolicitors to put on the market.
In ordinary circumstances there would have been no difficulty in gettingan immediate advance on the property, which was worth far more than tenthousand pounds, as Bennet said. But Cooper Silwood had changed allthat.
Williamson, who now watched, as a cat a mouse, Eversleigh as he hadwatched Silwood, had put the letter into his principal's hand with theremark that it was such a pity Mr. Bennet was ruining himself; he seemedbent on going headlong to destruction!
Francis Eversleigh merely nodded, read the letter, and said dully thathe would attend to the matter himself presently.
At first he was not without hope that all was well, and that the advancecould be procured. But a brief examination showed him that BeauclerkMansions no longer stood in Bennet's name--they had been sold during thepreceding year, as he shortly discovered, by Silwood. Amongst otherthings, this of course meant that Silwood had forged Bennet's signature.But, at the moment, Eversleigh did not stop to think of it; the onedamning fact which stood forth with frightful distinctness was thatBeauclerk Mansions were already sold.
"What am I to do?" groaned Eversleigh.
He considered if there was any way by which he could raise the money;but ten thousand pounds is a large sum, even to a rich man, when it hasto be put down in cold cash. Still, the credit of the firm wasunimpaired, and for a few brief moments Eversleigh permitted himself theluxury of imagining his bankers would advance the amount. But he knewthey would not do so without security, and he was certain he had none tooffer. Silwood had taken care of that.
"What am I to do? In Heavens name, what am I to do?" Eversleigh askedhimself, while his heart seemed to be contracting under the unrelentinggrip of a hand of iron.
Ruin, black ruin!
It was coming very near, very near!
And worse than ruin.
Infamy!
Again, as often before, he saw the convict's cell, the desolate home,the wife and children whom he loved for ever disgraced.
The cold sweat of terror, of despair, stood on the brows of the wretchedman, who shook and trembled as with palsy. He had a swooning sense thathe was standing in the midst of a dissolving world, a wreck amidst amyriad of wrecks all whirling on to some dark abyss. He felt as if hisbrain were giving way under these repeated shocks; then a mercifulblankness and vacuity of thought and impression suddenly descended uponhim.
Williamson, coming into the room later, found Eversleigh in a faintstretched across the table.
The head-clerk regarded his principal curiously; then he proceeded,before attempting to resuscitate Eversleigh, to look carefully over thepapers lying on the table. Amongst them, however, he saw nothing thatwas of a specially suspicious character, unless it was Bennet's letter.Having satisfied himself on this point, Williamson next endeavoured torevive his master.
"I am afraid you're trying to do too much," he observed to Eversleigh,when the latter had recovered. "Now that Mr. Silwood is gone, your workis doubled."
"Oh, I'm all right now; it was just a passing weakness," repliedEversleigh. Then he noticed Bennet's letter and glancing from it toWilliamson, said, "I must not forget to see about getting the money assoon as possible for Mr. Bennet. I don't suppose there will be muchtrouble about getting it. But it will take a day or two to arrange."
"In the mean time," asked Williamson, "shall I look out the deeds of theproperty?"
"No," replied Eversleigh, with a shiver, which he tried to hidesuccessfully; "there will be time enough for that when I have got theadvance arranged for."
"Yes, sir; but should not a notice of the sale be drawn up at once, andthe matter otherwise put in shape?"
"I am not without hope," said Eversleigh, slowly, "that there may, afterall, be no necessity to sell the Mansions. It's a fine property, and itwould be a good thing if Mr. Bennet could keep it. A mortgage for theten thousand may be sufficient. I'll mention that when I write Mr.Bennet to-day."
Williamson bowed and retired, mutely asking himself what was theparticular thing or reason that had so affected his principal as tocause him to faint. Could it be, in any way, he wondered, connected withBennet? No; on reflection, he thought it could not be that, forEversleigh's references to the matter had been quite natural. Yet thehead-clerk opined there must be some reason.
"I believe," he told himself, after long consideration, "the best coursefor me to pursue would be to resign and get out of it all."
But he did not resign.
That afternoon Eversleigh wrote Bennet a reply in which he stated theloan Bennet required would doubtless be obtained very soon, but two orthree days might elapse before the preliminaries were concluded. Then heexpressed the hope that a mortgage on the Mansions for ten thousandpounds might be enough to extricate Bennet from his difficulties, and inthat case the sale need not be proceeded with. But if the Mansions mustbe sold, he trusted plenty of time for advertising would be allowed,otherwise they might have to be disposed of at a considerable sacrifice.
In a word, it was exactly the kind of letter a solicitor who had nothingbehind in his mind, would write a client in Bennet's position.
Here, again, Eversleigh was playing for a respite; but here, again, hedid not deceive himself--he knew that the end was fast approaching.
The bitterness of death took hold of him. When he went home that eveninghe scarcely touched any food. As soon as dinner was over, he rose fromthe table, and, saying he would go out for a walk by the river, leftIvydene. For a long time he paced up and down in a great agony of mind.Three courses were open to him. One was to go on as long aspossible--till the crash came. The second was to file his petition inbankruptcy, in which case exposure was inevitable. The third lay beforehim--in the broad bosom of the river gliding past him; a plunge, and allwould be over.
The last, as a final solution of all his difficulties, had a strongattraction. It seemed so easy, and called for so small an effort. Therewas a fascination in the flowing water, in its softly murmurous motion.He looked at the river, and then dared not look longer. It seemed to cryto him, "Come to me! come to me!" Then he strode away from it into thehigh-road; but it drew him back again, for still he heard it calling,calling, "Come to me! come to me!"
Moving out of the shadows of the trees on the terrace, he walked slowly,listening to that sinister voice, while he looked at the dark spaces ofthe water where the river lay in its deepest
pools.
But as he walked, still within the shadows, he came upon a pair oflovers, and he stopped to watch them.
The lovers were his son Gilbert and Kitty Thornton.
Their faces looked forward along the path, and they did not see the manstanding in the shadows. The girl leaned lightly on Gilbert's arm, andwas speaking low and softly to him. As she uttered the words, Gilbertpatted the little hand that rested on his arm.
On Kitty's face was something that had not been there a month or twobefore, and which now imparted to it a touch of gravity. Perhaps herface was just a little sad. And yet she was not feeling sad, for the manin the shadows heard her say--
"Oh, Gilbert, it is good to be in love! Life now would not be worthliving without love."
A passing boat attracted the attention of the pair, and they stood toobserve it. Behind them was Francis Eversleigh.
"I feel as if I could not exist without you now, Gilbert," said thegirl, moving on again.
"Nor I without you, darling," answered Gilbert, tenderly.
Then in silence they went on their way.
When they were out of hearing, Francis Eversleigh heaved a great sigh,and followed them with tottering steps. The siren voice of the river haddied out from his ears; it called him no longer.
"I must struggle on to the end," he said, and returned to his house.
About noon next day, Bennet, who had pressing reasons for getting atonce the ten thousand pounds he had asked for, looked in at 176, NewSquare, Lincoln's Inn, and requested to see Francis Eversleigh.
"How are you, Harry?" inquired Eversleigh, when he saw him.
Bennet had not seen the other for a considerable time, and he wasimmensely struck by the altered appearance of the solicitor, so heanswered that he was very well, but regretted to notice that Mr.Eversleigh appeared to be in poor health.
"Well," said Eversleigh; "you have no doubt heard I've had much of apainful nature--Mr. Silwood's death and Mr. Thornton's--to try merecently. I have felt these blows very keenly."
"Of course you would," responded Bennet. "About this money, Mr.Eversleigh, I am sorry to trouble you, but I must have it at once."
"At once!"
"Yes, to-day if possible."
"It's not possible."
"Then to-morrow. I should like you to push on with the sale of BeauclerkMansions. I do not desire a mortgage on the property. It must be soldout-right."
"But, Harry----"
"Pray spare me, Mr. Eversleigh. I know you wish to expostulate with me,and I know the kindness which inspires you to do so, but I have quitemade up my mind. Can I have the money to-morrow?"
"I'm afraid not, Harry. It's not so very easy to raise so large a sum ina day or two--there are all sorts of formalities, you know."
"It ought not to be difficult, surely. These Kensington properties arefirst-rate and should find ready purchasers. And Beauclerk Mansions arein the best situation too. I am certain they must be in splendid order,for I never receive complaints now from the tenants. You remember thattwo or three years ago the tenants often sent me complaints directinstead of writing to you. Well, there has been nothing of the sort fora long while. I know Mr. Silwood was a splendid manager. What a pity itis you lost him! I haven't been near Beauclerk Mansions for many amonth--no need, you know, thanks to Mr. Silwood's ability. I am sorry tolose the property, but go it must. I suppose it will realize thirty orforty thousand, won't it?"
"I dare say it will."
"Then an advance of ten thousand should be easy to get."
"Yes, yes," agreed Eversleigh; "but it will take a few days."
"I must have it to-morrow, sir--to-morrow. I cannot wait any furtherthan that."
"Well, I'll do what I can," said Eversleigh, with a choking gasp; "I'lldo what I can."
"I'm certain you will be able to manage it," said Bennet, rising andgoing to the door. There he stopped and turned to Eversleigh. "Do youknow," he said; "I think I'll run down on the Underground to HighStreet, and take a look at Beauclerk Mansions--a last fond look," headded with a grin and disappeared.
At four o'clock in the same day he was back again at Lincoln's Inn, andthere was a strange expression on his face as he climbed the stairs toFrancis Eversleigh's room.