Harum Scarum's Fortune

  *CHAPTER XIII.*

  *A BIG PILE.*

  Lady Dove came down to breakfast next morning much disturbed in spiritbecause Miss Grossman had sent word she was still very feverish andshould remain in bed. Lady Dove had a horror of catching anything fromthose about her, but all the same she felt injured at her companion'smessage. As she came down the stairs she tried to elicit sympathy fromher husband who was in the hall.

  "I consider it a most improper message, Evas, and if you were not socallous to my feelings you would think the same."

  "But, my dear Melina, Miss Grossman cannot help being feverish, and it'svery considerate of her to keep out of your way. You have a dread ofinfection you know."

  "I was not aware of it, Evas, but of course it is much kinder to ourfellow-creatures to keep free from ailments. I have always gone on thatprinciple. Men never realise what women put up with in silence. Arethere any letters to-day?"

  Sir Evas paused in front of the hall table where the letters were alwayslaid in order in rows and heaps according to ownership. To-day his eyesstrayed on to two vast piles.

  "Good gracious, what's this? Plan---- Ah! Plantagenet Russell, Esq.Well!" Lady Dove stood aghast

  "What does this mean? How can that young man have so manyacquaintances? All for him!"

  "No, not all. One letter for you, dear, some for me, and a good heapfor Toney. The postman will rebel if----"

  Toney came running down with Trick. She took in the situation at aglance.

  "Good morning, Aunt Dove. How did you sleep, Uncle Evas?" and Toneybestowed her kisses all round. "Chum, dear, did you dream of yourpiccaninnies? Powder me pink! What a little cart-load of letters forMr. Russell! I think he needn't have them for breakfast, they wouldswamp his food."

  "I can't understand----" said Lady Dove, who had not jumped toconclusions as did Sir Evas.

  "Evidently he is a gentleman well known to-day," continued Toney. Thenshe glanced on her own pile. "He may have mine too, except a few! Inever did like letters much, people don't say what they really want tosay in letters, do they?"

  "I can't imagine what you mean, Antonia," answered Lady Dove, headingthe procession to the dining-room and sweeping her rustling skirts withdetermination. "If people don't want to say what they do say, theydon't write. I must say you do make the most illogical remarks ofanyone I know."

  Prayers followed--at which his Royal Highness did not put in anappearance, and Lady Dove said the responses louder and moreimpressively than usual, which was her way of letting the household knowshe was ruffled.

  "I say, Toney, is this what we are to expect?" asked Sir Evas in a lowtone to his niece, "the revenue will give you a testimonial!"

  "I want to keep my name out of it," answered Toney in the same tone,"and isn't that the good of a secretary?"

  "Have you offered free meals to the county?"

  "Oh no! Uncle, that's bad political economy. Hush!"

  "Pray, Evas, what are you remarking? I think conversations in low tonesare most unseemly at breakfast. Ah! Mr. Plantagenet Russell, I hopeyou slept well. We are rather early as Sir Evas always thinks he has somuch to do, a remark I notice which often hides idleness."

  "Every duty, for _me_, has its appointed time!" said the secretary.

  "Your letters are in the hall. I suppose you have a large circle ofacquaintances, Mr. Russell?"

  Toney was trying to smother her laughter as the secretary bowed low tothe hostess.

  "Not very large," said Mr. Russell, as if he were trying to be humble."Rather a bore to answer them."

  "I'm afraid it will take you some time, but, of course, one uses apaper-basket largely, even with letters from acquaintances," said LadyDove politely. She was won over by the new secretary's deference.

  "I hope you will tabulate them," put in Toney meditatively. "One cansee at a glance then if--they are worse off or better off than theothers."

  "I make a list of everything," said Lady Dove. "You remember, don't you,Anne Faber, how well I kept the callers' book? One could see at aglance if people had not done their duty. I can always manage to showpeople politely what I think of them."

  Mr. Russell murmured his approbation.

  "It takes a very little time to book up letters, and I never believethose who say their letters were lost in the post."

  "I don't think your letters will take very little time to-day, but, ofcourse, I shall help you," said Toney, thinking of the terrible heaps inthe hall.

  Mr. Russell looked at the heiress with mild condescension.

  "Thank you, I prefer doing it alone, and then there can be no mistake.I should not wish to stop your lessons in motor driving, Miss Whitburn."

  "I've nearly conquered it; I've stuck up over my dressing table,'_Laborare est orare_,' that means the 'motor-car.'"

  "Well, Toney, I hope it won't soon be your epitaph this neat Latin,"smiled her uncle.

  Happily Lady Dove soon got into most interesting conversation with Mr.Russell on the subject of social duties, so that Toney was then able toescape and to beckon to her uncle and Mrs. Faber to come and help her.Sir Evas could not help laughing heartily when he contemplated thepyramid of letters.

  "This beats even you, Toney! Confess what you have been doing. Youraunt thinks the poor young man has such a large circle of friends."

  "Oh, Toney, what is the new scheme?" said Mrs. Faber smiling.

  Toney pulled her advertisement out of her pocket.

  "I was so much afraid you would see it, but really I didn't guess thepeople would answer so promptly."

  "Good heavens! Russell will be tabulating for days!"

  "I expect there will be more by next post. Quick, let's carry them intothe office. I think you won't complain that the secretary will be idle.You see, uncle, I shall be kept busy going to see them and just lookinground."

  "Busy! It's the work of Sisyphus or what's his name."

  "I'll carry them in my skirt. Shoot them in, uncle. Chum, carry therest and open the doors for us. Don't drop any, uncle, it may be justthe most deserving case."

  "It's my belief you have trod on a hornet's nest. Besides, they won'thave believed in that advertisement!"

  "I think they have," said Toney, emptying her skirt on the secretary'stable. "St. Francis hadn't a daily post and never advertised," shecontinued rather sadly, "but he would have tackled it somehow."

  Mrs. Faber was busy putting the letters in some kind of order, and couldnot help smiling.

  "What guidance are you going to give Mr. Russell?"

  "I've thought it all out and it will be awfully interesting work, only Iwant to do it as much as I can myself like Brother Giles. He believedthat work was as good as prayer, and that even if you were talking to anangel and your superior called you, you must leave the angel."

  "They are not very common visitors, Toney. Well, good-bye, I'll leaveyou to tackle his Serene Highness."

  "And I must write up Lady Dove's visiting book," said Mrs. Faber, sothey both escaped as they heard Mr. Russell's step in the passage.

  "I didn't find the letters in the hall," he said, seeing Toney. Thenhis glance fell on the writing table. "What--are those--letters?Impossible!"

  Toney had to confess.

  "They have exceeded my greatest expectations I assure you."

  "Hundreds!" murmured the secretary.

  "Yes, I haven't counted them. It's in answer to this advertisement,"and Toney read it out. "You know I've heaps of money and I've got togive it away; but it will take a lot of time, attention, and trouble.Anyhow, I've prepared myself for it, and you see how much I want yourhelp."

  "Yes, I see." He looked hopelessly at the table. "I thought you wantedan ordinary secretary."

  "Oh, no, I don't want anything ordinary. It's a glorious work andyou'll find it so. We must tabulate these first, some will be quitehopeless, but lots will want immediate help till we can house them."

 
"House them, where?" said Mr. Russell, roused from his lethargy intopositive dread.

  "Oh, yes, of course, house them. I've got the plans all ready in arough way, and when I've got the land we can go ahead. It will be justbeautiful!"

  "Beautiful--in what way?"

  "Entering into all the lives of people who are down in their luck. I'llconfess I did several times think I'd give it all in a big lump and havedone with it, but that was downright cowardice. A people's palace soundsfirst-rate, but when you come to look into it it's very little use. Youknow money is nothing without labour."

  "Labour is nothing without money, I should say," said Mr. Russell with asarcastic smile; "but as your house is not built, what can you do withthese people?" He opened the envelopes at random. "Yes, I see it's theusual thing. A broken-down clergyman--has a large family, struggledmany years against bad luck--I dare say a drone. Here's another, adoctor who has lost his health in the discharge of his duties, and----"

  "Of course, he must be inquired about. My father was a doctor and--Isee now, he died of over-work for other people." Toney clasped herhands, and her eyes looked soft through a thin veil of unshed tears. "Ishall never resist a doctor's claim unless you help me! I know you willlike the work. You are sort of a countryman of mine, and it's an honourfor us, isn't it, that we can pull together."

  Mr. Plantagenet Russell looked at his despised heiress a moment to seeif she was in earnest. Yes, she certainly was in deadly earnest! He hadmeant to have an easy time, and on the threshold he was confronted withstupendous work, and then told it was "a great honour." It was thefirst glimmer of something above mere"do-your-duty-and-have-done-with-it" that had ever entered his head.

  "I will think it over if I may," was his cautious answer. "In any caseI had better begin at once or I shall not finish booking up beforenightfall. As to answering them it is impossible to-day.

  "Of course you must keep office hours, I don't want to overwork you,please. Do take care I don't, for I'm awfully strong and love work.I'm going to finish my driving lessons this morning, because we shallsoon want to go and hunt up these people, and I don't want to killanyone nor dogs. Oh, there's Trick creeping in, he's not partial toyou," and off she flew and shut the door just in time to prevent arecurrence of yesterday's scene. Left to himself, Plantagenet Russellslowly paced the pleasant room where he had meant to have a good time!His other offers of work would have been child's play to what was nowexpected of him, and then to be told that the work was "noble."Plantagenet had a dislike to penniless people, because he had known whatit was to be penniless himself, and he wanted to think that all povertywas the fault of the people who were poor; that is in the class whichMiss Whitburn wished to help. But even Plantagenet Russell was dimlyconscious of having been suddenly roused to look out of another window.Was there really something beyond material comfort and an easy-goinglife? Was there something noble in poverty, something noble in gettingrid of your money when you had it--for the sake of others? It was toonew an idea to accept at once, indeed this morning he kicked against thepricks, but suddenly he threw away a cigar he had been fingering, andsat down to tackle his heap of letters.

  As for Toney, having got through her difficult task of trying toinfluence her unwilling secretary, she went off to her motor-car lesson,feeling this was a first requisite for her work.

  "I don't want the people to have his Royal Highness patronising them,but I expect when he sees how interesting the work is, he'll be justabout nice. There's so much to do, and then the building will want alot of thought. Brother Giles lived by the labours of his hands, butI'm thinking it's much more difficult to get rid of money properly, thanto beg for money you haven't got. Ouf!"