samuel titmarsh and the great hoggarty diamond-第10部分

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〃Write　what　I　say。　　Mr。　Roundhand；　as　has　been　agreed　by　the　board
yesterday；　quits　the　clerk's　desk　and　takes　the　title　of　secretary
and　actuary。　　Mr。　Highmore　takes　his　place；　Mr。　Abednego　follows
him；　and　I　place　you　as　third　clerkas


〃third　clerk　（write）；　with　a　salary　of　a　hundred　and　fifty　pounds
per　annum。　　This　news　will；　I　know；　gratify　my　dear　mother　and　you；
who　have　been　a　second　mother　to　me　all　my　life。

〃When　I　was　last　at　home；　I　remember　you　consulted　me　as　to　the
best　mode　of　laying　out　a　sum　of　money　which　was　lying　useless　in
your　banker's　hands。　　I　have　since　lost　no　opportunity　of　gaining
what　information　I　could：　　and　situated　here　as　I　am；　in　the　very
midst　of　affairs；　I　believe；　although　very　young；　I　am　as　good　a
person　to　apply　to　as　many　others　of　greater　age　and　standing。

〃I　frequently　thought　of　mentioning　to　you　our　Association；　but
feelings　of　delicacy　prevented　me　from　doing　so。　　I　did　not　wish
that　anyone　should　suppose　that　a　shadow　of　self…interest　could
move　me　in　any　way。

〃But　I　believe；　without　any　sort　of　doubt；　that　the　West　Diddlesex
Association　offers　the　best　security　that　you　can　expect　for　your
capital；　and；　at　the　same　time；　the　highest　interest　you　can
anywhere　procure。

〃The　situation　of　the　Company；　as　I　have　it　from　THE　VERY　BEST
AUTHORITY　（underline　that）；　is　as　follows：…

〃The　subscribed　and　bona　fide　capital　is　FIVE　MILLIONS　STERLING。

〃The　body　of　directors　you　know。　　Suffice　it　to　say　that　the
managing　director　is　John　Brough；　Esq。；　of　the　firm　of　Brough　and
Hoff；　a　Member　of　Parliament；　and　a　man　as　well　known　as　Mr。
Rothschild　in　the　City　of　London。　　His　private　fortune；　I　know　for
a　fact；　amounts　to　half　a　million；　and　the　last　dividends　paid　to
the　shareholders　of　the　I。　W。　D。　Association　amounted　to　6。125　per
cent。　per　annum。〃


＇That　I　know　was　the　dividend　declared　by　us。＇


〃Although　the　shares　in　the　market　are　at　a　very　great　premium；　it
is　the　privilege　of　the　four　first　clerks　to　dispose　of　a　certain
number；　5；000L。　each　at　par；　and　if　you；　my　dearest　aunt；　would
wish　for　2；500L。　worth；　I　hope　you　will　allow　me　to　oblige　you　by
offering　you　so　much　of　my　new　privileges。

〃Let　me　hear　from　you　immediately　upon　the　subject；　as　I　have
already　an　offer　for　the　whole　amount　of　my　shares　at　market
price。〃


〃But　I　haven't；　sir；〃　says　I。

〃You　have；　sir。　　I　will　take　the　shares；　but　I　want　YOU。　　I　want　as
many　respectable　persons　in　the　Company　as　I　can　bring。　　I　want　you
because　I　like　you；　and　I　don't　mind　telling　you　that　I　have　views
of　my　own　as　well；　for　I　am　an　honest　man　and　say　openly　what　I
mean；　and　I'll　tell　you　WHY　I　want　you。　　I　can't；　by　the
regulations　of　the　Company；　have　more　than　a　certain　number　of
votes；　but　if　your　aunt　takes　shares；　I　expectI　don't　mind　owning
itthat　she　will　vote　with　me。　　NOW　do　you　understand　me？　　My
object　is　to　be　all　in　all　with　the　Company；　and　if　I　be；　I　will
make　it　the　most　glorious　enterprise　that　ever　was　conducted　in　the
City　of　London。〃

So　I　signed　the　letter　and　left　it　with　Mr。　B。　to　frank。

The　next　day　I　went　and　took　my　place　at　the　third　clerk's　desk；
being　led　to　it　by　Mr。　B。；　who　made　a　speech　to　the　gents；　much　to
the　annoyance　of　the　other　chaps；　who　grumbled　about　their
services：　　though；　as　for　the　matter　of　that；　our　services　were
very　much　alike：　　the　Company　was　only　three　years　old；　and　the
oldest　clerk　in　it　had　not　six　months'　more　standing　in　it　than　I。
〃Look　out；〃　said　that　envious　M'Whirter　to　me。　　〃Have　you　got
money；　or　have　any　of　your　relations　money？　or　are　any　of　them
going　to　put　it　into　the　concern？〃

I　did　not　think　fit　to　answer　him；　but　took　a　pinch　out　of　his
mull；　and　was　always　kind　to　him；　and　he；　to　say　the　truth；　was
always　most　civil　to　me。　　As　for　Gus　Hoskins；　he　began　to　think　I
was　a　superior　being；　and　I　must　say　that　the　rest　of　the　chaps
behaved　very　kindly　in　the　matter；　and　said　that　if　one　man　were　to
be　put　over　their　heads　before　another；　they　would　have　pitched
upon　me；　for　I　had　never　harmed　any　of　them；　and　done　little
kindnesses　to　several。

〃I　know；〃　says　Abednego；　〃how　you　got　the　place。　　It　was　I　who　got
it　you。　　I　told　Brough　you　were　a　cousin　of　Preston's；　the　Lord　of
the　Treasury；　had　venison　from　him　and　all　that；　and　depend　upon　it
he　expects　that　you　will　be　able　to　do　him　some　good　in　that
quarter。〃

I　think　there　was　some　likelihood　in　what　Abednego　said；　because
our　governor；　as　we　called　him；　frequently　spoke　to　me　about　my
cousin；　told　me　to　push　the　concern　in　the　West　End　of　the　town；
get　as　many　noblemen　as　we　could　to　insure　with　us；　and　so　on。　　It
was　in　vain　I　said　I　could　do　nothing　with　Mr。　Preston。　　〃Bah！
bah！〃　says　Mr。　Brough；　〃don't　tell　ME。　　People　don't　send　haunches
of　venison　to　you　for　nothing；〃　and　I'm　convinced　he　thought　I　was
a　very　cautious　prudent　fellow；　for　not　bragging　about　my　great
family；　and　keeping　my　connection　with　them　a　secret。　　To　be　sure
he　might　have　learned　the　truth　from　Gus；　who　lived　with　me；　but
Gus　would　insist　that　I　was　hand　in　glove　with　all　the　nobility；
and　boasted　about　me　ten　times　as　much　as　I　did　myself。

The　chaps　used　to　call　me　the　〃West　Ender。〃

〃See；〃　thought　I；　〃what　I　have　gained　by　Aunt　Hoggarty　giving　me　a
diamond…pin！　　What　a　lucky　thing　it　is　that　she　did　not　give　me　the
money；　as　I　hoped　she　would！　　Had　I　not　had　the　pinhad　I　even
taken　it　to　any　other　person　but　Mr。　Polonius；　Lady　Drum　would
never　have　noticed　me；　had　Lady　Drum　never　noticed　me；　Mr。　Brough
never　would；　and　I　never　should　have　been　third　clerk　of　the　West
Diddlesex。〃

I　took　heart　at　all　this；　and　wrote　off　on　the　very　evening　of　my
appointment　to　my　dearest　Mary　Smith；　giving　her　warning　that　a
〃certain　event；〃　for　which　one　of　us　was　longing　very　earnestly；
might　come　off　sooner　than　we　had　expected。　　And　why　not？　　Miss
S。's　own　fortune　was　70L。　a　year；　mine　was　150L。；　and　when　we　had
300L。；　we　always　vowed　we　would　marry。　　〃Ah！〃　thought　I；　〃if　I
could　but　go　to　Somersetshire　now；　I　might　boldly　walk　up　to　old
Smith's　door〃　（he　was　her　grandfather；　and　a　half…pay　lieutenant　of
the　navy）；　〃I　might　knock　at　the　knocker　and　see　my　beloved　Mary　in
the　parlour；　and　not　be　obliged　to　sneak　behind　hayricks　on　the
look…out　for　her；　or　pelt　stones　at　midnight　at　her　window。〃

My　aunt；　in　a　few　days；　wrote　a　pretty　gracious　reply　to　my　letter。
She　had　not　determined；　she　said；　as　to　the　manner　in　which　she
should　employ　her　three　thousand　pounds；　but　should　take　my　offer
into　consideration；　begging　me　to　keep　my　shares　open　for　a　little
while；　until　her　mind　was　made　up。

What；　then；　does　Mr。　Brough　do？　　I　learned　afterwards；　in　the　year
1830；　when　he　and　the　West　Diddlesex　Association　had　disappeared
altogether；　how　he　had　proceeded。

〃Who　are　the　attorneys　at　Slopperton？〃　says　he　to　me　in　a　careless
way。

〃Mr。　Ruck；　sir；〃　says　I；　〃is　the　Tory　solicitor；　and　Messrs。　Hodge
and　Smithers　the　Liberals。〃　　I　knew　them　very　well；　for　the　fact
is；　before　Mary　Smith　came　to　live　in　our　parts；　I　was　rather
partial　to　Miss　Hodge；　and　her　great　gold…coloured　ringlets；　but
Mary　came　and　soon　put　HER　nose　out　of　joint；　as　the　saying　is。

〃And　you　are　of　what　politics？〃

〃Why；　sir；　we　are　Liberals。〃　　I　was　rather　ashamed　of　this；　for　Mr。
Brough　was　an　out…and…out　Tory；　but　Hodge　and　Smithers　is　a　most
respectable　firm。　　I　brought　up　a　packet　from　them　to　Hickson；
Dixon；　Paxton；　and　Jackson；　OUR　solicitors；　who　are　their　London
correspondents。

Mr。　Brough　only　said；　〃Oh；　indeed！〃　and　did　not　talk　any　further　on
the　subject；　but　began　admiring　my　diamond…pin　very　much。

〃Titmarsh；　my　dear　boy；〃　says　he；　〃I　have　a　young　lady　at　Fulham
who　is　worth　seeing；　I　assure　you；　and　who　has　heard　so　much　about
you　from　her　father　（for　I　like　you；　my　boy；　I　don't　care　to　own
it）；　that　she　is　rather　anxious　to　see　you　too。　　Suppose　you　come
down　to　us　for　a　week？　　Abednego　will　do　your　work。〃

〃Law；　sir！　you　are　very　kind；〃　says　I。

〃Well；　you　shall　come　down；　and　I　hope　you　will　like　my　claret。
But　hark　ye！　　I　don't　think；　my　dear　fellow；　you　are　quite　smart
enoughquite　well　enough　dressed。　　Do　you　understand　me？〃

〃I've　my　blue　coat　and　brass　buttons　at　home；　sir。〃

〃What！　that　thing　with　the　waist　between　your　shoulders　that　you
wore　at　Mrs。　Brough's　party？〃　　（It　WAS　rather　high…waisted；　being
made　in　the　country　two　years　before。）　　〃Nono；　that　will　never
do。　　Get　some　new　clothes；　sir；two　new　suits　of　clothes。〃

〃Sir！〃　says　I；　〃I'm　already；　if　the　truth　must　be　told；　very　short
of　money　for　this　quarter；　and　can't　afford　myself　a　new　suit　for　a
long　time　to　come。〃

〃Pooh；　pooh！　don't　let　that　annoy　you。　　Here's　a　ten…pound　note
but　no；　on　second　thoughts；　you　may　as　well　go　to　my　tailor's。
I'll　drive　you　down　there：　　and　never　mind　the　bill；　my　good　lad！〃
And　drive　me　down　he　actually　did；　in　his　grand　coach…and…four；　to
Mr。　Von　Stiltz；　in　Clifford　Street；　who　took　my　measure；　and　sent
me　home　two　of　the　finest　coats　ever　seen；　a　dress…coat　and　a
frock；　a　velvet　waist…coat；　a　silk　ditto；　and　three　pairs　of
pantaloons；　of　the　most　beautiful　make。　　Brough　told　me　to　get　some
boots　and　pumps；　and　silk　stockings　for　evenings；　so　that　when　the
time　came　for　me　to　go　down　to　Fulham；　I　appeared　as　handsome　as
any　young　nobleman；　and　Gus　said　that　〃I　looked；　by　Jingo；　like　a
regular　tip…top　swell。〃

In　the　meantime　the　following　letter　had　been　sent　down　to　Hodge
and　Smithers：…

〃RAM　ALLEY；　CORNHILL；　LONDON：　　July　1822。

〃DEAR　SIRS；

*　*　*

＇This　part　being　on　private　affairs　relative　to　the　cases　of　Dixon
v。　Haggerstony；　Snodgrass　v。　Rubbidge　and　another；　I　am　not
permitted　to　extract。＇

*　*　*

〃Likewise　we　beg　to　hand　you　a　few　more　prospectuses　of　the
Independent　West　Diddlesex　Fire　and　Life　Insurance　Company；　of
which　we　have　the　honour　to　be　the　solicitors　in　London。　　We　wrote
to　you　last　year；　requesting　you　to　accept　the　Slopperton　and
Somerset　agency　for　the　same；　and　have　been　expecting　for　some　time
back　that　either　shares　or　assurances　should　be　effected　by　you。

〃The　capital　of　the　Company；　as　you　know；　is　five　millions　sterling
（say　5；000；