The Old Adam: A Story of Adventure

by Arnold Bennett

  CHAPTER V

  MR. SACHS TALKS

  I.

  It was the sudden flash of the photographer's magnesium light, plainlyfelt by him through his closed lids, that somehow instantly inspiredEdward Henry to a definite and ruthless line of action. He opened hiseyes and beheld the triumphant group, and the photographer himself,victorious over even the triumphant, in a superb pose that suggestedthat all distinguished mankind in his presence was naught but food forthe conquering camera. The photographer smiled indulgently, and hissmile said: "Having been photographed by me, you have each of youreached the summit of your career. Be content. Retire! Die! Destinyis accomplished!"

  "Mr. Machin," said Rose Euclid, "I do believe your eyes were shut!"

  "So do I!" Edward Henry curtly agreed.

  "But you'll spoil the group!"

  "Not a bit of it!" said Edward Henry. "I always shut my eyes when I'mbeing photographed by flash-light. I open my mouth instead. So long assomething's open, what does it matter?"

  The truth was that only in the nick of time had he, by a happy miracleof ingenuity, invented a way of ruining the photograph. The absolutenecessity for its ruin had presented itself to him rather late in theproceedings, when the photographer had already finished arranging thehands and shoulders of everybody in an artistic pattern. The photographhad to be spoilt for the imperative reason that his mother, though shenever read a newspaper, did as a fact look at a picture newspaper, _TheDaily Film_, which from pride she insisted on paying for out of her ownpurse, at the rate of one halfpenny a day. Now _The Daily Film_specialised in theatrical photographs, on which it said it spent largesums of money; and Edward Henry in a vision had seen the historic groupin a future issue of the _Film_. He had also, in the same vision, seenhis mother conning the said issue, and the sardonic curve of her lips asshe recognised her son therein, and he had even heard her dry, cynical,contemptuous exclamation: "Bless us!" He could never have lookedsquarely in his mother's face again if that group had appeared in herchosen organ! Her silent and grim scorn would have crushed hisself-conceit to a miserable, hopeless pulp. Hence his resolve to renderthe photograph impossible.

  "Perhaps I'd better take another one?" the photographer suggested."Though I think Mr.--er--Machin was all right." At the supreme crisisthe man had been too busy with his fireworks to keep a watch on everyseparate eye and mouth of the assemblage.

  "Of course I was all right!" said Edward Henry, almost with brutality."Please take that thing away as quickly as you can. We have business toattend to."

  "Yes, sir," agreed the photographer, no longer victorious.

  Edward Henry rang the bell, and two gentlemen in waiting arrived.

  "Clear this table immediately!"

  The tone of the command startled everybody except the gentlemen inwaiting and Mr. Seven Sachs. Rose Euclid gave vent to her nervousgiggle. The poet and Mr. Marrier tried to appear detached anddignified, and succeeded in appearing guiltily confused--for which theycontemned themselves. Despite their volition, the glances of all threeof them too clearly signified: "This capitalist must be humoured. Hehas an unlimited supply of actual cash, and therefore he has the rightto be peculiar. Moreover, we know that he is a card...." And,curiously, Edward Henry himself was deriving great force of characterfrom the simple reflection that he had indeed a lot of money, realavailable money, his to do utterly as he liked with it, hidden in asecret place in that very room. "I'll show 'em what's what!" heprivately mused. "Celebrities or not, I'll show 'em! If they thinkthey can come it over me--!"

  It was, I regret to say, the state of mind of a bully. Such is thenoxious influence of excessive coin!

  He reproached the greatest actress and the greatest dramatic poet fordeceiving him, and quite ignored the nevertheless fairly obvious factthat he had first deceived them.

  "Now then," he began, with something of the pomposity of a chairman at adirectors' meeting, as soon as the table had been cleared and the roomemptied of gentlemen in waiting and photographer and photographicapparatus, "let us see exactly where we stand."

  He glanced specially at Rose Euclid, who with an air of deep businessacumen returned the glance.

  "Yes," she eagerly replied, as one seeking after righteousness, "_do_let's see."

  "The option must be taken up to-morrow. Good! That's clear. It camerather casual-like, but it's now clear. L4,500 has to be paid down tobuy the existing building on the land and so on.... Eh?"

  "Yes. Of course Mr. Bryany told you all that, didn't he?" said Rosebrightly.

  "Mr. Bryany did tell me," Edward Henry admitted sternly. "But if Mr.Bryany can make a mistake in the day of the week he might make a mistakein a few naughts at the end of a sum of money."

  Suddenly Mr. Seven Sachs startled them all by emerging from his silencewith the words:

  "The figure is O.K."

  Instinctively Edward Henry waited for more; but no more came. Mr. SevenSachs was one of those rare and disconcerting persons who do not keep ontalking after they have finished. He resumed his tranquillity, here-entered into his silence, with no symptom of self-consciousness,entirely cheerful and at ease. And Edward Henry was aware of hisobservant and steady gaze. Edward Henry said to himself: "This man isexpecting me to behave in a remarkable way. Bryany has been telling himall about me, and he is waiting to see if I really am as good as myreputation. I have just got to be as good as my reputation!" He lookedup at the electric chandelier, almost with regret that it was not gas.One cannot light one's cigarette by twisting a hundred-pound bank-noteand sticking it into an electric chandelier. Moreover, there were somethousands of matches on the table. Still further, he had done thecigarette-lighting trick once for all. A first-class card must notrepeat himself.

  "This money," Edward Henry proceeded, "has to be paid to Slossons, LordWoldo's solicitors, to-morrow, Wednesday, rain or shine?" He finishedthe phrase on a note of interrogation, and as nobody offered any reply,he rapped on the table, and repeated, half menacingly: "Rain or shine!"

  "Yes," said Rose Euclid, leaning timidly forward, and taking a cigarettefrom a gold case that lay on the table. All her movements indicated anearnest desire to be thoroughly businesslike.

  "So that, Miss Euclid," Edward Henry continued impressively but with awilful touch of incredulity, "you are in a position to pay your share ofthis money to-morrow?"

  "Certainly!" said Miss Euclid. And it was as if she had said,aggrieved: "Can you doubt my honour?"

  "To-morrow morning?"

  "Ye-es."

  "That is to say, to-morrow morning you will have L2,250 in actualcash--coin, notes--actually in your possession?"

  Miss Euclid's disengaged hand was feeling out behind her again for somesurface upon which to express its emotion and hers.

  "Well--" she stopped, flushing.

  ("These people are astounding," Edward Henry reflected, like a god."She's not got the money. I knew it!")

  "It's like this, Mr. Machin," Marrier began.

  "Excuse me, Mr. Marrier," Edward Henry turned on him, determined if hecould to eliminate the optimism from that beaming face. "Any friend ofMiss Euclid's is welcome here, but you've already talked about thistheatre as 'ours,' and I just want to know where you come in."

  "Where I come in?" Marrier smiled, absolutely unperturbed. "Miss Euclidhas appointed me general manajah."

  "At what salary, if it isn't a rude question?"

  "Oh! We haven't settled details yet. You see the theatre isn't builtyet."

  "True!" said Edward Henry. "I was forgetting! I was thinking for themoment that the theatre was all ready and going to be opened to-morrownight with 'The Orient Pearl.' Have you had much experience of managingtheatres, Mr. Marrier? I suppose you have."

  "Eho, yes!" exclaimed Mr. Marrier. "I began life as a lawyah's clerk,but--"

  "So did I," Edward Henry interjected.

  "How interestin
g!" Rose Euclid murmured with fervency, after puffingforth a long shaft of smoke.

  "However, I threw it up," Marrier went on.

  "I didn't," said Edward Henry. "I got thrown out!"

  Strange that in that moment he was positively proud of having beendismissed from his first situation! Strange that all the company, too,thought the better of him for having been dismissed! Strange thatMarrier regretted that he also had not been dismissed! But so it was.The possession of much ready money emits a peculiar effluence in bothdirections--back to the past, forward into the future.

  "I threw it up," said Marrier, "because the stage had an irresistibleattraction for me. I'd been stage-manajah for an amateur company, youknaoo. I found a shop as stage-manajah of a company touring 'UncleTom's Cabin.' I stuck to that for six years, and then I threw that uptoo. Then I've managed one of Miss Euclid's provincial tours. And sinceI met our friend Trent, I've had the chance to show what my ideas aboutplay-producing really are. I fancy my production of Trent's one-actplay won't be forgotten in a hurry.... You know--'The Nymph?' You readabout it, didn't you?"

  "I did not," said Edward Henry. "How long did it run?"

  "Oh! it didn't run. It wasn't put on for a run. It was part of one ofthe Sunday-night shows of the Play-Producing Society, at the CourtTheatre. Most intellectual people in London, you know. No such audienceanywhere else in the wahld!" His rather chubby face glistened andshimmered with enthusiasm. "You bet!" he added. "But that was only bythe way. My real game is management--general management. And I think Imay say I know what it is."

  "Evidently!" Edward Henry concurred. "But shall you have to give up anyother engagement in order to take charge of the Muses' Theatre? Becauseif so--"

  Mr. Marrier replied:

  "No."

  Edward Henry observed:

  "Oh!"

  "But," said Marrier reassuringly, "if necessary I would throw up anyengagement--you understand me, any--in favour of the IntellectualTheatah as I prefer to call it. You see, as I own part of the option--"

  By these last words Edward Henry was confounded, even to muteness.

  "I forgot to mention, Mr. Machin," said Rose Euclid very quickly. "I'vedisposed of a quarter of my half of the option to Mr. Marrier. He fullyagreed with me it was better that he should have a proper interest inthe theatre."

  "Why of course!" cried Mr. Marrier, uplifted.

  "Let me see," said Edward Henry, after a long breath, "a quarter--thatmakes it that you have to find L562 10s, to-morrow, Mr. Marrier."

  "Yes."

  "To-morrow morning--you'll be all right?"

  "Well, I won't swear for the morning, but I shall turn up with the stuffin the afternoon anyhow. I've two men in tow, and one of them's acertainty."

  "Which?"

  "I don't know which," said Mr. Marrier. "Howevah, you may count on yourssincerely, Mr. Machin."

  There was a pause.

  "Perhaps I ought to tell you," Rose Euclid smiled, "perhaps I ought totell you that Mr. Trent is also one of our partners. He has takenanother quarter of my half."

  Edward Henry controlled himself.

  "Excellent!" said he with glee. "Mr. Trent's money all ready too?"

  "I am providing most of it--temporarily," said Rose Euclid.

  "I see. Then I understand you have your three quarters of L2,250 allready in hand."

  She glanced at Mr. Seven Sachs.

  "Have I, Mr. Sachs?"

  And Mr. Sachs, after an instant's hesitation, bowed in assent.

  "Mr. Sachs is not exactly going into the speculation, but he is lendingus money on the security of our interests. That's the way to put it,isn't it, Mr. Sachs?"

  Mr. Sachs once more bowed.

  And Edward Henry exclaimed:

  "Now I really do see!"

  He gave one glance across the table at Mr. Seven Sachs, as who shouldsay: "And have you too allowed yourself to be dragged into this affair?I really thought you were cleverer. Don't you agree with me that we'reboth fools of the most arrant description?" And under the brief glanceMr. Seven Sachs's calm deserted him as it had never deserted him on thestage, where for over fifteen hundred nights he had withstood the menaceof revolvers, poison, and female treachery through three hours and fouracts without a single moment of agitation.

  Apparently Miss Rose Euclid could exercise a siren's charm upon nearlyall sorts of men. But Edward Henry knew one sort of men upon whom shecould not exercise it; namely, the sort of men who are born and bred inthe Five Towns. His instinctive belief in the Five Towns as the solecradle of hard practical common sense was never stronger than just now.You might by wiles get the better of London and America, but not of theFive Towns. If Rose Euclid were to go around and about the Five Townstrying to do the siren business, she would pretty soon discover that shewas up against something rather special in the way of human nature!

  Why, the probability was that these three--Rose Euclid (only a few hourssince a glorious name and legend to him), Carlo Trent, and Mr.Marrier--could not at that moment produce even ten pounds between them!... And Marrier offering to lay fivers! ... He scornfully pitied them.And he was not altogether without pity for Seven Sachs, who haddoubtless succeeded in life by sheer accident and knew no more than aninfant what to do with his too easily earned money.