“But I see them. I see many things. He come to have Ongere Park for his own. I tell you, yes. Ten thousand will come to have Ongere Park. Why not? To have Ongere Park and all de money a man will make himself smell a great deal.”
“You think much more about all that than is necessary.”
“Do I, my dear? Very well. There are three already. There is Edouard, and there is this Clavering who you say is a captain; and there is the other Clavering who goes with his nose in the air, and who think himself a clever fellow because he learned his lesson at school and did not get himself whipped. He will be whipped yet some day—perhaps.”
“Sophie, hold your tongue. Captain Clavering is my sister’s brother-in-law, and Harry Clavering is my friend.”
“Ah, friend! I know what sort of friend he wants to be. How much better to have a park and plenty of money than to work in a ditch and make a railway! But he do not know the way with a woman. Perhaps he may be more at home, as you say, in the ditch. I should say to him, ‘My friend, you will do well in de ditch if you work hard;—suppose you stay there.’ ”
“You don’t seem to like my cousin, and if you please, we will talk no more about him.”
“Why should I not like him? He don’t want to get any money from me.”
“That will do, Sophie.”
“Very well; it shall do for me. But this other man that come here today. He is a fool.”
“Very likely.”
“He did not learn his lesson without whipping.”
“Nor with whipping either.”
“No; he have learned nothing. He does not know what to do with his hat. He is a fool. Come, Julie, will you take me out for a drive. It is melancholy for you to go alone; I came to ask you for a drive. Shall we go?” And they did go, Lady Ongar and Sophie Gordeloup together. Lady Ongar, as she submitted, despised herself for her submission; but what was she to do? It is sometimes very difficult to escape from the meshes of friendship.
Captain Clavering, when he left Bolton Street, went down to his club, having first got rid of his shining boots and new gloves. He sauntered up into the billiard-room knowing that his friend would be there, and there he found Doodles with his coat off, the sleeves of his shirt turned back, and armed with his cue. His brother captain, the moment that he saw him, presented the cue at his breast. “Does she know you’re there, old fellow; I say, does she know you’re there?” The room was full of men, and the whole thing was done so publicly that Captain Clavering was almost offended.
“Come, Doodles, you go on with your game,” said he; “it’s you to play.” Doodles turned to the table, and scientifically pocketed the ball on which he played; then he laid his own ball close under the cushion, picked up a shilling and put it into his waistcoat pocket, holding a lighted cigar in his mouth the while, and then he came back to his friend. “Well, Clavvy, how has it been?”
“Oh, nothing as yet, you know.”
“Haven’t you seen her?”
“Yes, I’ve seen her, of course. I’m not the fellow to let the grass grow under my feet. I’ve only just come from her house.”
“Well, well?”
“That’s nothing much to tell the first day, you know.”
“Did you let her know you were there? That’s the chat. Damme, did you let her know you were there?”
In answer to this Archie attempted to explain that he was not as yet quite sure that he had been successful in that particular; but in the middle of his story Captain Doodles was called off to exercise his skill again, and on this occasion to pick up two shillings. “I’m sorry for you, Griggs,” he said, as a very young lieutenant, whose last life he had taken, put up his cue with a look of ineffable disgust, and whose shilling Doodles had pocketed; “I’m sorry for you, very; but a fellow must play the game, you know.” Whereupon Griggs walked out of the room with a gait that seemed to show that he had his own ideas upon that matter, though he did not choose to divulge them. Doodles instantly returned to his friend. “With cattle of that kind it’s no use trying the waiting dodge,” said he. “You should make your running at once, and trust to bottom to carry you through.”
“But there was a horrid little Frenchwoman came in!”
“What; a servant?”
“No; a friend. Such a creature! You should have heard her talk. A kind of confidential friend she seemed, who called her Julie. I had to go away and leave her there, of course.”
“Ah! you’ll have to tip that woman.”
“What, with money?”
“I shouldn’t wonder.”
“It would come very expensive.”
“A tenner now and then, you know. She would do your business for you. Give her a brooch first, and then offer to lend her the money. You’d find she’ll rise fast enough, if you’re any hand for throwing a fly.”
“Oh! I could do it, you know.”
“Do it then, and let ’em both know that you’re there. Yes, Parkyns, I’ll divide. And, Clavvy, you can come in now in Griggs’ place.” Then Captain Clavering stripped himself for the battle.
XIX
The Blue Posts
“Oh; so you ’ave come to see me. I am so glad.” With these words Sophie Gordeloup welcomed Harry Clavering to her room in Mount Street early one morning not long after her interview with Captain Archie in Lady Ongar’s presence. On the previous evening Harry had received a note from Lady Ongar, in which she upbraided him for having left unperformed her commission with reference to Count Pateroff. The letter had begun quite abruptly. “I think it unkind of you that you do not come to me. I asked you to see
