CHAPTER LV.
Intus et in jecore aegro, Nascuntur domini.--Persius.
The next two or three days I spent in visiting all my male friends inthe Lower House, and engaging them to dine with me, preparatory to thegreat act of voting on--'s motion. I led them myself to the Houseof Commons, and not feeling sufficiently interested in the debate toremain, as a stranger, where I ought, in my own opinion, to have actedas a performer, I went to Brookes's to wait the result. Lord Gravelton,a stout, bluff, six-foot nobleman, with a voice like a Stentor, was"blowing up" the waiters in the coffee-room. Mr.--, the author ofT--, was conning the Courier in a corner; and Lord Armadilleros, thehaughtiest and most honourable peer in the calendar, was monopolizingthe drawing-room, with his right foot on one hob and his left on theother. I sat myself down in silence, and looked over the "crack article"in the Edinburgh. By and by, the room got fuller; every one spoke of themotion before the House, and anticipated the merits of the speeches, andthe numbers of the voters.
At last a principal member entered--a crowd gathered round him. "I haveheard," he said, "the most extraordinary speech, for the combination ofknowledge and imagination, that I ever recollect to have listened to."
"From Gaskell, I suppose?" was the universal cry.
"No," said Mr.--, "Gaskell has not yet spoken. It was from a youngman who has only just taken his seat. It was received with the mostunanimous cheers, and was, indeed, a remarkable display."
"What is his name?" I asked, already half foreboding the answer.
"I only just learnt it as I left the House," replied Mr.--: "the speakerwas Sir Reginald Glanville."
Then every one whom I had often before heard censure Glanville for hisrudeness, or laugh at him for his eccentricity, opened their mouths incongratulations to their own wisdom, for having long admired his talentsand predicted his success.
I left the "turba Remi sequens fortunam;" I felt agitated and feverish;those who have unexpectedly heard of the success of a man for whomgreat affection is blended with greater interest, can understand therestlessness of mind with which I wandered into the streets. The air wascold and nipping. I was buttoning my coat round my chest, when I heard avoice say, "You have dropped your glove, Mr. Pelham."
The speaker was Thornton. I thanked him coldly for his civility, andwas going on, when he said, "If your way is up Pall Mall, I have noobjection to join you for a few minutes."
I bowed with some hauteur; and as I seldom refuse any opportunity ofknowing more perfectly individual character, I said I should be happy ofhis company so long as our way lay together.
"It is a cold night, Mr. Pelham," said Thornton, after a pause. "I havebeen dining at Hatchett's, with an old Paris acquaintance: I am sorry wedid not meet more often in France, but I was so taken up with my friendMr. Warburton."
As Thornton uttered that name, he looked hard at me, and then added, "Bythe by, I saw you with Sir Reginald Glanville the other day; you knowhim well, I presume?"
"Tolerably well," said I, with indifference.
"What a strange character he is," rejoined Thornton; "I also haveknown him for some years," and again Thornton looked pryingly into mycountenance. Poor fool, it was not for a penetration like his to readthe cor inscrutabile of a man born and bred like me, in the consummatedissimulation of bon ton.
"He is very rich, is he not?" said Thornton, after a brief silence.
"I believe so," said I.
"Humph!" answered Thornton. "Things have grown better with him, inproportion as they grew worse with me, who have had 'as good luck asthe cow that stuck herself with her own horn.' I suppose he is not tooanxious to recollect me--'poverty parts fellowship.' Well, hang pride,say I; give me an honest heart all the year round, in summer or winter,drought or plenty. Would to God, some kind friend would lend me twentypounds."
To this wish I made no reply. Thornton sighed.
"Mr. Pelham," renewed he, "it is true I have known you but a shorttime--excuse the liberty I take--but if you could lend me a trifle, itwould really assist me very much."
"Mr. Thornton," said I, "if I knew you better, and could serve you more,you might apply to me for a more real assistance than any bagatelle Icould afford you would be. If twenty pounds would really be of serviceto you, I will lend it you, upon this condition, that you never ask mefor another farthing."
Thornton's face brightened. "A thousand, thousand--" he began.
"No," interrupted I, "no thanks, only your promise."
"Upon my honour," said Thornton, "I will never ask you for anotherfarthing."
"There is honour among thieves," thought I, and so I took out the summentioned, and gave it to him. In good earnest, though I dislikedthe man, his threadbare garments and altered appearance moved me tocompassion. While he was pocketing the money, which he did with the mostunequivocal delight, a tall figure passed us rapidly. We both turned atthe same instant, and recognised Glanville. He had not gone seven yardsbeyond us, before we observed his steps, which were very irregular,pause suddenly; a moment afterwards he fell against the iron rails ofan area; we hastened towards him, he was apparently fainting. Hiscountenance was perfectly livid, and marked with the traces of extremeexhaustion. I sent Thornton to the nearest public-house for some water;before he returned, Glanville had recovered.
"All--all--in vain," he said, slowly and unconsciously, "death is theonly Lethe."
He started when he saw me. I made him lean on my arm, and we walked onslowly.
"I have already heard of your speech," said I. Glanville smiled with theusual faint and sicklied expression, which made his smile painful evenin its exceeding sweetness.
"You have also already seen its effects; the excitement was too much forme."
"It must have been a proud moment when you sat down," said I.
"It was one of the bitterest I ever felt--it was fraught with the memoryof the dead. What are all honours to me now?--O God! O God! have mercyupon me!"
And Glanville stopped suddenly, and put his hand to his temples.
By this time Thornton had joined us. When Glanville's eyes rested uponhim, a deep hectic rose slowly and gradually over his cheeks. Thornton'slip curled with a malicious expression. Glanville marked it, and hisbrow grew on the moment as black as night.
"Begone!" he said, in a loud voice, and with a flashing eye, "begoneinstantly; I loathe the very sight of so base a thing."
Thornton's quick, restless eye, grew like a living coal, and he bit hislip so violently that the blood gushed out. He made, however, no otheranswer than--"You seem agitated to-night, Sir Reginald; I wish yourspeedy restoration to better health. Mr. Pelham, your servant."
Glanville walked on in silence till we came to his door: we partedthere; and for want of any thing better to do, I sauntered towards theM--Hell. There were only about ten or twelve persons in the rooms, andall were gathered round the hazard table--I looked on silently, seeingthe knaves devour the fools, and younger brothers make up in wit for thedeficiencies of fortune.
The Honourable Mr. Blagrave came up to me; "Do you never play?" said he.
"Sometimes," was my brief reply.
"Lend me a hundred pounds!" rejoined my kind acquaintance.
"I was just going to make you the same request," said I.
Blagrave laughed heartily. "Well," said he, "be my security to a Jew,and I'll be yours. My fellow lends me money at only forty per cent. Mygovernor is a d--d stingy old fellow, for I am the most moderate sonin the universe. I neither hunt, nor race, nor have I any one favouriteexpense, except gambling, and he won't satisfy me in that--now I callsuch conduct shameful!"
"Unheard-of barbarity," said I; "and you do well to ruin your propertyby Jews, before you have it; you could not avenge yourself better on'the governor.'"
"No, d--me," said Blagrave, "leave me alone for that! Well, I have gotfive pounds left, I shall go and slap it down."
No sooner had he left me than I was accosted by Mr. Goren, a handsomelittle adventurer, who lived the devil knew how,
for the devil seemed totake excellent care of him.
"Poor Blagrave!" said he, eyeing the countenance of that ingeniousyouth. "He is a strange fellow--he asked me the other day, if I everread the History of England, and told me there was a great deal init about his ancestor, a Roman General, in the time of William theConqueror, called Caractacus. He told me at the last New-market, thathe had made up a capital book, and it turned out that he had hedged withsuch dexterity, that he must lose one thousand pounds, and he mightlose two. Well, well," continued Goren, with a sanctified expression; "Iwould sooner see those real fools here, than the confounded scoundrels,who pillage one under a false appearance. Never, Mr. Pelham, trust to aman at a gaming-house; the honestest look hides the worst sharper! Shallyou try your luck to-night?"
"No," said I, "I shall only look on."
Goren sauntered to the table, and sat down next to a rich young man,of the best temper and the worst luck in the world. After a few throws,Goren said to him, "Lord--, do put your money aside--you have so muchon the table, that in interferes with mine--and that is really sounpleasant. Suppose you put some of it in your pocket."
Lord--took a handful of notes, and stuffed them carelessly in his coatpocket. Five minutes afterwards I saw Goren insert his hand, empty,in his neighbour's pocket, and bring it out full--and half an hourafterwards he handed over a fifty pound note to the marker, saying,"There, Sir, is my debt to you. God bless me, Lord--, how you havewon; I wish you would not leave all your money about--do put it in yourpocket with the rest."
Lord--(who had perceived the trick, though he was too indolent to resentit), laughed. "No, no, Goren," said he, "you must let me keep some!"
Goren coloured, and soon after rose. "D--n my luck!" said he, as hepassed me. "I wonder I continue to play--but there are such sharpers inthe room. Avoid a gaming house, Mr. Pelham, if you wish to live."
"And let live," thought I.
I was just going away, when I heard a loud laugh on the stairs, andimmediately afterwards Thornton entered, joking with one of the markers.He did not see me; but approaching the table, drew out the identicaltwenty pound note I had given him, and asked for change with the airof a millionaire. I did not wait to witness his fortune, good or ill; Icared too little about it. I descended the stairs, and the servant, onopening the door for me, admitted Sir John Tyrrell. "What," I thought,"is the habit still so strong?" We stopped each other, and after a fewwords of greeting, I went, once more, up stairs with him.
Thornton was playing as eagerly with his small quota as Lord C--with histen thousands. He nodded with an affected air of familiarity to Tyrrell,who returned his salutation with the most supercilious hauteur; and verysoon afterwards the baronet was utterly engrossed by the chances of thegame. I had, however, satisfied my curiosity, in ascertaining that therewas no longer any intimacy between him and Thornton, and accordinglyonce more I took my departure.
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