The Three Clerks Part 66

'We are thinking of moving; but then we are talking of going to St. John's Wood, or Islington,' said Gertrude, wickedly.

'Islington!' said the Honourable Mrs. Val, nearly fainting.

'Is not Islington and St. Giles' the same place?' asked the innocent Clem, with some malice, however, to counterbalance her innocence.

'O no!' said Lactimel. 'St Giles' is where the poor wretched starving Irish dwell. Their utter misery in the middle of this rich metropolis is a crying disgrace to the Prime Minister.' Poor Badger, how much he has to bear! 'Only think,' continued Lactimel, with a soft pathetic drawl, 'they have none to feed them, none to clothe them, none to do for them!'

'It is a great question,' said Ugolina, 'whether promiscuous charity is a blessing or a curse. It is probably the greatest question of the age. I myself am inclined to think--'

'But, ma,' said Madame Jaquetanape, 'Mrs. Tudor doesn't really mean that she is going to live at St. Giles', does she?'

'I said Islington,' said Gertrude. 'We may go to St. Giles' next, perhaps.' Had she known all, how dreadful would such jokes have been to her!

Mrs. Val saw that she was being quizzed, and, not liking it, changed the conversation. 'Ugolina,' said she, 'might I trouble you to look out of the front window? I hope those stupid men of mine are not letting the horses stand still. They were so warm coming here, that they will be sure to catch cold.' The stupid men, however, were round the corner at the public-house, and Ugolina could only report that as she did not see them she supposed the horses were walking about.

'And so,' said Mrs. Val, 'Mr. Tudor is thinking of resigning his place at the Civil Service Board, and standing for that borough of Lord Gaberlunzie's, in Aberdeens.h.i.+re?'

'I really cannot say,' said Gertrude; 'but I believe he has some idea of going into Parliament. I rather believe he will continue to hold his place.'

'Oh, that I know to be impossible! I was told that by a gentleman who has been much longer in the service than Mr. Tudor, and who understands all its bearings.' She here alluded to Fidus Neverbend.

'I cannot say,' said Gertrude. 'I do not think Mr. Tudor has quite made up his mind yet.'

'Well, my dear, I'll tell you fairly what I think about it. You know the regard I have for you and Mr. Tudor. He, too, is Clementina's trustee; that is to say, her fortune is partly consigned to his care; so I cannot but have a very great interest about him, and be very anxious that he should do well. Now, my dear, I'll tell you fairly what I think, and what all the world is saying. He ought not to think of Parliament. He ought not, indeed, my dear. I speak for your sake, and your child's. He is not a man of fortune, and he ought not to think of Parliament. He has a very fine situation, and he really should be contented.'

This was intolerable to Gertrude. She felt that she must put Mrs.

Val down, and yet she hardly knew how to do it without being absolutely rude; whereas her husband had specially begged her to be civil to this woman at present. 'Oh,' said she, with a slight smile, 'Mr. Tudor will be able to take care of himself; you will find, I hope, that there is no cause for uneasiness.'

'Well, I hope not, I am sure I hope not,' said Mrs. Val, looking very grave. 'But I tell you fairly that the confidence which we all have in your husband will be much shaken if he does anything rash. He should think of this, you know. He has no private fortune to back him; we must remember that.'

Gertrude became very red in the face; but she would not trust herself to answer Mrs. Val at the spur of the moment.

'It makes such a difference, when one has got no private fortune,' said Madame Jaquetanape, the heiress. 'Does it not, Lactimel?'

'Oh, indeed it does,' said Lactimel. 'I wish every one had a private fortune; it would be so nice, wouldn't it?'

'There would be very little poetry in the world if you were to banish poverty,' said Ugolina. 'Poverty may be called the parent of poetry. Look at Milton, how poor he was; and Homer, he begged his bread.'

'But Lord Byron was not a beggar,' said Clem, contemptuously.

'I do hope Mr. Tudor will think of what he is doing,' continued Mrs. Val. 'It is certainly most good-natured and most disinterested of my dear father-in-law, Lord Gaberlunzie, to place his borough at Mr. Tudor's disposal. It is just like him, dear good old n.o.bleman.

But, my dear, it will be a thousand pities if Mr. Tudor should be led on by his lords.h.i.+p's kindness to bring about his own ruin.'

Mrs. Val had once in her life seen his good-natured lords.h.i.+p.

Soon after her marriage she had insisted on Captain Val taking her down to the family mansion. She stayed there one night, and then left it, and since that had shown no further desire to visit Cauldkail Castle. She did not the less delight to talk about her dear good father-in-law, the lord. Why should she give his son Val board and lodging, but that she might be enabled to do so?

She was not the woman to buy an article, and not make of it all the use of which it might be capable.

'Pray do not concern yourself,' said Gertrude. 'I can a.s.sure you Mr. Tudor will manage very well for himself--but should any misfortune happen to him he will not, you may be certain, attribute it to Lord Gaberlunzie.'

'I am told that Sir Gregory is most opposed to it,' continued Mrs. Val. 'I heard that from Mr. Neverbend, who is altogether in Sir Gregory's confidence--did not you, my dears?' and she turned round to the sisters of Fidus for confirmation.

'I heard my brother say that as Mr. Tudor's office is not parliamentary but permanent, and as he has to attend from ten till four----'

'Alaric has not to attend from ten till four,' said Gertrude, who could not endure the idea that her husband should be ranked with common clerks, like Fidus Neverbend.

'Oh, I didn't know,' said Lactimel, meekly. 'Perhaps Fidus only meant that as it is one of those offices where the people have something to do, the commissioners couldn't be in their offices and in Parliament at the same time.'

'I did understand,' said Ugolina, 'that Sir Gregory Hardlines had put his veto upon it; but I must confess that it is a subject which I have not sufficiently studied to enable me----'

'It's 1,200 a year, isn't it?' asked the bride.

'Twelve hundred pounds a year,' said her mother--'a very serious consideration when there is no private fortune to back it, on either side. Now if it were Victoire----'

'He couldn't sit in Parliament, ma, because he's an alien--only for that I shouldn't think of his doing anything else.'

'Perhaps that may be altered before long,' said Lactimel, graciously.

'If Jews are to be admitted,' said Ugolina, 'who certainly belong to an alien nation; a nation expressly set apart and separated from all people--a peculiar nation distinct from all others, I for one cannot discern----'

What Ugolina could or could not discern about the Jews was communicated perhaps to Madame Jaquetanape or to Lactimel, but not to Gertrude or to Mrs. Val; for the latter, taking Gertrude apart into a corner as it were of the sofa, began confidentially to repeat to her her fears about her husband.

'I see, my dear,' said she, 'that you don't like my speaking about it.'

'Upon my word,' said Gertrude, 'I am very indifferent about it.

But would it not be better if you said what you have to say to my husband?'

'I intend to do so. I intend to do that also. But I know that a wife ought to have influence over her husband, and I believe that you have influence over yours.'

'Not the least,' said Gertrude, who was determined to contradict Mrs. Val in everything.

'I am sorry to hear it,' said Mrs. Val, who among all her excellent acquirements, did not possess that specially excellent one of understanding repartee. 'I am very sorry to hear it, and I shall certainly speak to him the more seriously on that account.

I think I have some influence over him; at any rate I ought to have.'

'I dare say you have,' said Gertrude; 'Alaric always says that no experience is worth anything that is not obtained by years.'

Mrs. Val at least understood this, and continued her lecture with some additional severity. 'Well, my dear, I am glad he has so much wisdom. But what I was going to say is this: you know how much we have at stake with Mr. Tudor--what a very large sum of Clementina's money lies in his hands. Now I really should not have consented to the arrangement had I thought it possible that Mr. Tudor would have given up his income with the idea of going into Parliament. It wouldn't have been right or prudent of me to do so. I have the greatest opinion of your husband's talents and judgement, or I should not of course have entrusted him with the management of Clementina's fortune; but I really shall think it right to make some change if this project of his goes on.'

'Why, what is it you suspect?' said Gertrude. 'Do you think that Mr. Tudor intends to use your daughter's income if he loses a portion of his own? I never heard such a thing in my life.'

'Hus.h.!.+ my dear--gently--I would not for worlds let Clementina hear a word of this; it might disturb her young happiness. She is so charmed with her husband; her married life is so fortunate; Victoire is so--so--so everything that we all wish, that I would not for the world breathe in her hearing a shadow of a suspicion.'

'Good gracious! Mrs. Scott, what do you mean? Suspicion!--what suspicion? Do you suspect my husband of robbing you?' Oh, Gertrude; poor Gertrude! she was doomed to know it all before long.

'Oh dear, no,' said Mrs. Val; 'nothing of the kind, I a.s.sure you.

Of course we suspect nothing of the sort. But one does like to have one's money in safe hands. Of course Mr. Tudor wouldn't have been chosen as trustee if he hadn't had a good income of his own; and look here, my dear,'--and Mrs. Val whispered very confidentially, --'Mr. Tudor we all know is greatly concerned in this bridge that the committee is sitting about; and he and my brother-in-law, Undecimus, are always dealing in shares. Gentlemen do, I know; and therefore I don't say that there is anything against it. But considering all, I hope Mr. Tudor won't take it ill if we propose to change our trustee.'

'I am very certain he will not,' said Gertrude. 'It is a laborious business, and he will be glad enough to be rid of it.

When he was asked to accept it, he thought it would be ill-natured to refuse; I am certain, however, he will be very glad to give up the work to any other person who may be appointed. I will be sure to tell him this evening what you have said.'