“I do not in the least doubt it. If it be necessary that you should speak to me respecting Miss Peppercorn, will it not be well that you should take a chair?”
Then Mr. Peppercorn sat down, feeling that he had been snubbed. “I may say that my only object in life is to do every mortal thing to make my girl happy.” Here Mr. Greenmantle simply bowed. “We sit close to you in church, where, however, she comes much more reg’lar than me, and you must have observed her scores of times.”
“I am not in the habit of looking about among young ladies at church time, but I have occasionally been aware that Miss Peppercorn has been there.”
“Of course you have. You couldn’t help it. Well, now, you know the sort of appearance she has made.”
“I can assure you, Mr. Peppercorn, that I have not observed Miss Peppercorn’s dress in particular. I do not look much at the raiment worn by young ladies even in the outer world—much less in church. I have a daughter of my own—”
“It’s her as I’m coming to.” Then Mr. Greenmantle frowned more severely than ever. But the brewer did not at the moment say a word about the banker’s daughter, but reverted to his own. “You’ll see next Sunday that my girl won’t look at all like herself.”
“I really cannot promise—”
“You cannot help yourself, Mr. Greenmantle. I’ll go bail that everyone in church will see it. Polly is not to be passed over in a crowd;—at least she didn’t used to be. Now it all comes of her wanting to get herself married to a young man who is altogether beneath her. Not as I mean to say anything against John Hollycombe as regards his walk of life. He is an industrious young man, as can earn forty shillings a week, and he comes over here from Barchester selling malt and suchlike. He may rise himself to £3 some of these days if he looks sharp about it. But I can give my girl—; well; what is quite unfit that he should think of looking for with a wife. And it’s monstrous of Polly wanting to throw herself away in such a fashion. I don’t believe in a young man being so covetous.”
“But what can I do, Mr. Peppercorn?”
“I’m coming to that. If you’ll see her next Sunday you’ll think of what my feelings must be. She’s a-doing of it all just because she wants to show me that she thinks herself fit for nothing better than to be John Hollycombe’s wife. When I tell her that I won’t have it—this sudden changing of her toggery, she says it’s only fitting. It ain’t fitting at all. I’ve got the money to buy things for her, and I’m willing to pay for it. Is she to go poor just to break her father’s heart?”
“But what can I do, Mr. Peppercorn?”
“I’m coming to that. The world does say, Mr. Greenmantle, that your young lady means to serve you in the same fashion.”
Hereupon Mr. Greenmantle waxed very wroth. It was terrible to his ideas that his daughter’s affairs should be talked of at all by the people at Plumplington at large. It was worse again that his daughter and the brewer’s girl should be lumped together in the scandal of the town. But it was worse, much worse, that this man Peppercorn should have dared to come to him, and tell him all about it. Did the man really expect that he, Mr. Greenmantle, should talk unreservedly as to the love affairs of his Emily? “The world, Mr. Peppercorn, is very impertinent in its usual scandalous conversations as to its betters. You must forgive me if I do not intend on this occasion to follow the example of the world. Good morning, Mr. Peppercorn.”
“It’s Dr. Freeborn as has coupled the two girls together.”
“I cannot believe it.”
“You ask him. It’s he who has said that you and I are in a boat together.”
“I’m not in a boat with any man.”
“Well;—in a difficulty. It’s the same thing. The Doctor seems to think that young ladies are to have their way in everything. I don’t see it. When a man has made a tidy bit of money, as have you and I, he has a right to have a word to say as to who shall have the spending of it. A girl hasn’t the right to say that she’ll give it all to this man or to that. Of course, it’s natural that my money should go to Polly. I’m not saying anything against it. But I don’t mean that John Hollycombe shall have it. Now if you and I can put our heads together, I think we may be able to see our way out of the wood.”
“Mr. Peppercorn, I cannot consent to discuss with you the affairs of Miss Greenmantle.”
“But they’re both alike. You must admit that.”
“I will admit nothing, Mr. Peppercorn.”
“I do think, you know, that we oughtn’t to be done by our own daughters.”
“Really, Mr. Peppercorn—”
“Dr. Freeborn was saying that you and I would have to give way at last.”
“Dr. Freeborn knows nothing about it. If Dr. Freeborn coupled the two young ladies together he was I must say very impertinent; but I don’t think he ever did so. Good morning, Mr. Peppercorn. I am fully engaged at present and cannot spare time for a longer interview.” Then he rose up from his chair, and leant upon the table with his hands by way of giving a certain signal that he was to be left alone. Mr. Peppercorn, after pausing a moment, searching for an opportunity for another word, was overcome at last by the rigid erectness of Mr. Greenmantle and withdrew.
IV
Jack Hollycombe
Mr. Peppercorn’s visit to the bank had been no doubt inspired by Dr. Freeborn. The Doctor had not actually sent him to the bank, but had filled his mind with the idea that
