Little thinking of the plan for his happy settlement in life whichhad suggested itself to the teeming brain of his providentcommander, Hugh made no pause until Saint Dunstan"s giants struckthe hour above him, when he worked the handle of a pump which stoodhard by, with great vigour, and thrusting his head under the spout,let the water gush upon him until a little stream ran down fromevery uncombed hair, and he was wet to the waist. Considerablyrefreshed by this ablution, both in mind and body, and almostsobered for the time, he dried himself as he best could; thencrossed the road, and plied the knocker of the Middle Temple gate.
The night-porter looked through a small grating in the portal witha surly eye, and cried "Halloa!" which greeting Hugh returned inkind, and bade him open quickly.
"We don"t sell beer here," cried the man; "what else do you want?"
"To come in," Hugh replied, with a kick at the door.
"Where to go?"
"Paper Buildings."
"Whose chambers?"
"Sir John Chester"s." Each of which answers, he emphasised withanother kick.
After a little growling on the other side, the gate was opened, andhe passed in: undergoing a close inspection from the porter as hedid so.
"YOU wanting Sir John, at this time of night!" said the man.
"Ay!" said Hugh. "I! What of that?"
"Why, I must go with you and see that you do, for I don"t believeit."
"Come along then."
Eyeing him with suspicious looks, the man, with key and lantern,walked on at his side, and attended him to Sir John Chester"s door,at which Hugh gave one knock, that echoed through the darkstaircase like a ghostly summons, and made the dull light tremblein the drowsy lamp.
"Do you think he wants me now?" said Hugh.
Before the man had time to answer, a footstep was heard within, alight appeared, and Sir John, in his dressing-gown and slippers,opened the door.
"I ask your pardon, Sir John," said the porter, pulling off hishat. "Here"s a young man says he wants to speak to you. It"s latefor strangers. I thought it best to see that all was right."
"Aha!" cried Sir John, raising his eyebrows. "It"s you,messenger, is it? Go in. Quite right, friend. I commend yourprudence highly. Thank you. God bless you. Good night."
To be commended, thanked, God-blessed, and bade good night by onewho carried "Sir" before his name, and wrote himself M.P. to boot,was something for a porter. He withdrew with much humility andreverence. Sir John followed his late visitor into the dressing-room, and sitting in his easy-chair before the fire, and moving itso that he could see him as he stood, hat in hand, beside the door,looked at him from head to foot.
The old face, calm and pleasant as ever; the complexion, quitejuvenile in its bloom and clearness; the same smile; the wontedprecision and elegance of dress; the white, well-ordered teeth; thedelicate hands; the composed and quiet manner; everything as itused to be: no mark of age or passion, envy, hate, or discontent:
all unruffled and serene, and quite delightful to behold.
He wrote himself M.P.--but how? Why, thus. It was a proud family-moreproud, indeed, than wealthy. He had stood in danger ofarrest; of bailiffs, and a jail--a vulgar jail, to which the commonpeople with small incomes went. Gentlemen of ancient houses haveno privilege of exemption from such cruel laws--unless they are ofone great house, and then they have. A proud man of his stock andkindred had the means of sending him there. He offered--not indeedto pay his debts, but to let him sit for a close borough until hisown son came of age, which, if he lived, would come to pass intwenty years. It was quite as good as an Insolvent Act, andinfinitely more genteel. So Sir John Chester was a member ofParliament.
But how Sir John? Nothing so simple, or so easy. One touch with asword of state, and the transformation was effected. John Chester,Esquire, M.P., attended court--went up with an address--headed adeputation. Such elegance of manner, so many graces of deportment,such powers of conversation, could never pass unnoticed. Mr wastoo common for such merit. A man so gentlemanly should have been-butFortune is capricious--born a Duke: just as some dukes shouldhave been born labourers. He caught the fancy of the king, kneltdown a grub, and rose a butterfly. John Chester, Esquire, wasknighted and became Sir John.
"I thought when you left me this evening, my esteemedacquaintance," said Sir John after a pretty long silence, "that youintended to return with all despatch?"
"So I did, master."
"And so you have?" he retorted, glancing at his watch. "Is thatwhat you would say?"
Instead of replying, Hugh changed the leg on which he leant,shuffled his cap from one hand to the other, looked at the ground,the wall, the ceiling, and finally at Sir John himself; beforewhose pleasant face he lowered his eyes again, and fixed them onthe floor.
"And how have you been employing yourself in the meanwhile?" quothSir John, lazily crossing his legs. "Where have you been? whatharm have you been doing?"
"No harm at all, master," growled Hugh, with humility. "I haveonly done as you ordered."
"As I WHAT?" returned Sir John.
"Well then," said Hugh uneasily, "as you advised, or said I ought,or said I might, or said that you would do, if you was me. Don"tbe so hard upon me, master."
Something like an expression of triumph in the perfect control hehad established over this rough instrument appeared in the knight"sface for an instant; but it vanished directly, as he said--paringhis nails while speaking:
"When you say I ordered you, my good fellow, you imply that Idirected you to do something for me--something I wanted done-somethingfor my own ends and purposes--you see? Now I am sure Ineedn"t enlarge upon the extreme absurdity of such an idea, howeverunintentional; so please--" and here he turned his eyes upon him-"
to be more guarded. Will you?"
"I meant to give you no offence," said Hugh. "I don"t know what tosay. You catch me up so very short."
"You will be caught up much shorter, my good friend--infinitelyshorter--one of these days, depend upon it," replied his patroncalmly. "By-the-bye, instead of wondering why you have been solong, my wonder should be why you came at all. Why did you?"
"You know, master," said Hugh, "that I couldn"t read the bill Ifound, and that supposing it to be something particular from theway it was wrapped up, I brought it here."
"And could you ask no one else to read it, Bruin?" said Sir John.