Tony Butler Part 63

"I can't believe this possible. Tony would never dare such a piece of presumption."

"You forget two things, Sir Arthur. This young fellow fancies that his good birth makes him the equal of any one; and, secondly, Alice, in her sense of independence, is exactly the girl to do a folly, and imagine it to be heroic; so Maitland himself said to me, and it was perfectly miraculous how well he read her whole nature. And indeed it was he who suggested to me to charge Tony Butler with being engaged to the minister's daughter, and told me--and as I saw, with truth--how thoroughly it would test his suspicions about him. I thought he was going to faint,--he really swayed back and forwards when I said that it was one of the girls from whom I had the story."

"If I could only believe this, he should never cross the threshold again. Such insolence is, however, incredible."

"That's a man's way of regarding it; and however you sneer at our credulity, it enables us to see scores of things that your obstinacy is blind to. I am sincerely glad he is going away."

"So am I--now; and I trust, in my heart, we have seen the last of him."

"How tired you look, my poor Tony!" said his mother, as he entered the cottage and threw himself heavily and wearily into a chair.

"I _am_ tired, mother,--very tired and jaded."

"I wondered what kept you so long, Tony; for I had time to pack your trunk, and to put away all your things; and when it was done and finished, to sit down and sorrow over your going away. Oh, Tony dear, are n't we ungrateful creatures, when we rise up in rebellion against the very mercies that are vouchsafed us, and say, Why was my prayer granted me? I am sure it was many and many a night, as I knelt down, I begged the Lord would send you some calling or other, that you might find means of an honest living; and a line of life that would n't disgrace the stock you came from; and now that He has graciously heard me, here I am repining and complaining just as if it was n't my own supplication that was listened to."

Perhaps Tony was not in a humor to discuss a nice question of ethical meaning, for he abruptly said, "Sir Arthur Lyle read your note over, and said he'd call one of these days and see you. I suppose he meant with the answer."

"There was no answer, Tony; the matter was just this,--I wanted a trifle of an advance from the bank, just to give you a little money when you have to go away; and Tom M'Elwain, the new manager, not knowing me perhaps, referred the matter to Sir Arthur, which was not what I wished or intended, and so I wrote and said so. Perhaps I said so a little too curtly, as if I was too proud, or the like, to accept a favor at Sir Arthur's hands; for he wrote me a very beautiful letter--it went home to my heart--about his knowing your father long ago, when they were both lads, and had the wide world before them; and alluding very touchingly to the Lord's bounties to himself,--blessing him with a full garner."

"I hope you accepted nothing from him," broke in Tony, roughly.

"No, Tony; for it happened that James Hewson, the apothecary, had a hundred pounds that he wanted to lay out on a safe mortgage, and so I took it, at six per cent, and gave him over the deeds of the little place here."

"For a hundred pounds! Why, it 's worth twelve hundred at least, mother!"

"What a boy it is!" said she, laughing. "I merely gave him his right to claim the one hundred that he advanced, Tony dear; and my note to Sir Arthur was to ask him to have the bond, or whatever it is called, rightly drawn up and witnessed, and at the same time to thank him heartily for his own kind readiness to serve me."

"I hate a mortgage, mother. I don't feel as if the place was our own any longer."

"Your father's own words, eighteen years ago, when he drew all the money he had out of the agent's hands, and paid off the debt on this little spot here. 'Nelly,' said he, 'I can look out of the window now, and not be afraid of seeing a man coming ap the road to ask for his interest.'"

"It's the very first thing I 'll try to do, is to pay off that debt, mother. Who knows but I may be able before the year is over! But I am glad you did n't take it from Sir Arthur."

"You're as proud as your father, Tony," said she, with her eyes full of tears; "take care that you're as good as he was too."

CHAPTER x.x.xVI. A CORNER IN DOWNING STREET

When Tony Butler found himself inside of the swinging gla.s.s-door at Downing Street, and in presence of the august Mr. Willis, the porter, it seemed as if all the interval since he had last stood in the same place had been a dream. The head-porter looked up from his "Times," and with a severity that showed he had neither forgotten nor forgiven, said, "Messengers' room--first pair--corridor--third door on the left." There was an unmistakable dignity in the manner of the speaker which served to show Tony not merely that his former offence remained unpardoned, but that his entrance into public life had not awed or impressed in any way the stern official.

Tony pa.s.sed on, mounted the stairs, and sauntered along a very ill-kept corridor, not fully certain whether it was the third, fourth, or fifth door he was in search of, or on what hand. After about half an hour pa.s.sed in the hope of seeing one to direct him, he made bold to knock gently at a door. To his repeated summons no answer was returned, and he tried another, when a shrill voice cried, "Come in." He entered, and saw a slight, sickly-looking youth, very elaborately dressed, seated at a table, writing. The room was a large one, very dirty, ill-furnished, and disorderly.

"Well, what is it?" asked the young gentleman, without lifting his head or his eyes from the desk.

"Could you tell me," said Tony, courteously, "where I ought to go? I 'm Butler, an extra messenger, and I have been summoned to attend and report here this morning."

"All right; we want you," said the other, still writing; "wait an instant." So saying, he wrote on for several minutes at a rapid pace, muttering the words as his pen traced them; at last he finished, and, descending from his high seat, pa.s.sed across the room, opened a door, which led into another room, and called out,--

"The messenger come, sir!"

"Who is he?" shouted a very harsh voice.

"First for Madrid, sir," said the youth, examining a slip of paper he had just taken from his pocket.

"His name?" shouted out the other again.

"Poynder, sir."

"I beg your pardon," suggested Tony, mildly. "I'm Butler, not Poynder."

"Who's talking out there,--what's that uproar?" screamed the voice, very angrily.

"He says he 's not for Madrid, sir. It's a mistake," cried the youth.

"No; you misunderstand me," whispered Tony. "I only said I was not Poynder."

"He says he 's in Poynder's place."

"I'll stop this system of subst.i.tutes!" cried the voice. "Send him in here."

"Go in there," said the youth, with a gesture of his thumb, and his face at the same time wore an expression which said as plain as any words could have spoken, "And you 'll see how you like it."

As Tony entered, he found himself standing face to face to the awful official, Mr. Brand, the same who had reported to the Minister his intended a.s.sault upon Willis, the porter. "Aw! what's all this about?"

said Mr. Brand, pompously. "You are Mr.--Mr.--"

"Mr. Butler," said Tony, quietly, but with an air of determination.

"And instead of reporting yourself, you come here to say that you have exchanged with Poynder."

"I never heard of Poynder till three minutes ago."

"You want, however, to take his journey, sir. You call yourself first for Madrid?"

"I do nothing of the kind. I have come here because I got a telegram two days ago. I know nothing of Poynder, and just as little about Madrid."

"Oh--aw! you're Butler! I remember all about you now; there is such a swarm of extras appointed, that it's impossible to remember names or faces. You 're the young gentleman who--who--yes, yes, I remember it all; but have you pa.s.sed the civil-service examiners?"

"No; I was preparing for the examination when I received that message, and came off 'at once."

"Well, you 'll present yourself at Burlington House. Mr. Blount will make out the order for you; you can go up the latter end of this week, and we shall want you immediately."

"But I am not ready. I was reading for this examination when your telegram came, and I set off at the instant."

"Blount, Mr. Blount!" screamed out the other, angrily; and as the affrighted youth presented himself, all pale and trembling, he went on: "What's the meaning of this, sir? You first attempt to pa.s.s this person off for Poynder: and when that scheme fails, you endeavor to slip him into the service without warrant or qualification. He tells me himself he knows nothing."

"Very little, certainly, but I don't remember telling you so," said Tony.