CHAPTER V
On the Monday morning Francis Eversleigh did not appear at breakfast.
Mrs. Eversleigh told Ernest that his father was asleep after havingpassed a wakeful night, and she was sure he would not feel equal togoing to the office. When Ernest inquired, as was natural, if sheintended sending for a doctor, she replied that a suggestion she hadmade in the night to that effect had been peremptorily negatived by herhusband, who maintained that he was suffering from a slight attack forwhich it was absurd to call in a physician.
"I am very anxious, however, about him," she said. She paused and lookedmeditatively at her son. "Do you know, Ernest," she continued, "if yourfather has on hand some exceptionally difficult business just now, or ifthere is some client who is giving him cause for unusual anxiety?" Shewas thinking of Bennet.
"I am quite certain there is absolutely nothing of such gravity as tomake him ill," replied Ernest, with conviction. "Why, work goes on atthe office from day to day and from month to month with the ease andregularity of machinery. But why do you ask this, mother?"
"Because it has occurred to me that there is something on your father'smind, and it is that which is making him ill."
"Indeed! Oh, I think you must be mistaken, mother."
"I hope so," she rejoined, but not in a really hopeful tone. "One of thethings which perplex me is that he seems to take very little pleasure inthe engagement of Kitty and Gilbert--that is strange, is it not? Thenagain, you would suppose he would be looking forward with interest toseeing his old friend Morris Thornton once more, yet, when I referred toit, he spoke in such a queer way. I can't understand him at all."
As Ernest was about to speak Miss Kitty Thornton entered the room, andconversation passed to other topics. And as for Kitty herself, herbrilliant beauty appeared to have been enhanced by the happy event ofher engagement, for never had she looked so lovely as she did thatmorning, and there was on her face a light of happiness which was goodto see.
"Is there anything I can do for you?" Ernest asked Kitty. "Can I carry amessage, for instance," he went on, with a grin, rising to leave theroom, "to a certain barrister in the Temple?"
But Miss Kitty merely smiled and shook her pretty head.
"I won't have her teased," said Mrs. Eversleigh; but the offender hadalready vanished.
When Silwood reached his room in New Square he found not only Williamsonwaiting as usual, but also Ernest Eversleigh.
"I am sorry to have to tell you," said Ernest, "that my father isindisposed. He will not be here to-day."
"Mr. Eversleigh ill!" exclaimed Silwood, and stopped; inwardly hetermed Eversleigh a poor weak fool without a particle of grit. Aloud hesaid, clicking out the words stiffly, "I am very sorry to hear it. Whatis the trouble?"
"I don't think it is anything serious; he'll be all right by to-morrow."
"He did not send me any message?"
"He was asleep when I left the house. Mother told me he had been awakemost of the night, but had dozed off towards morning."
"I see. There was something I expected to hear from him, but it'spossible you can tell me. It's just this. We received a letter onSaturday from Mr. Morris Thornton, in which he informed us that he wasleaving Canada for England. Well, though he spoke of being here verysoon, he did not give us any exact date. Of course, it is no greatmatter, but it seems just a little curious."
"It must have been an oversight," said Williamson.
"Perhaps so," assented Silwood.
"I am not certain of that," remarked Ernest.
"You have heard something?" queried Silwood.
"Miss Thornton has heard from her father----"
"I had an idea she might have definite word as to the date of herfather's arrival," interposed Silwood. "Not, as I told you before, thatit matters; it is only that one likes to satisfy one's curiositysometimes."
Thus carefully did Silwood minimize the interest he took in the date ofThornton's arrival in London. Certainly, Ernest Eversleigh had nosuspicion of the vital importance the subject possessed, and Silwood'smanner was so natural that even Williamson was put off the scent.
"Miss Thornton," said Ernest, "had a letter also on Saturday; but herfather did not specify the date of his coming to her either, the reasonbeing, he told her, that he wishes to give her a pleasant surprise bydropping in on her when she isn't expecting him. Still, he said enoughto make her expect him some day next week."
"Some day next week!" repeated Silwood, with an indrawing of the breath.Then he continued in an ordinary tone, "He wishes to give her asurprise; that seems to me rather odd."
"It is," agreed Ernest; and then he smiled.
"There is something more," suggested Silwood, seeing the smile.
"I was thinking," rejoined Ernest, laughing a little, "that the surprisewill not be all on one side. Miss Kitty has prepared a surprise for himtoo."
"Indeed!"
"Yes. Kitty and Gilbert are engaged to be married."
"Oh! Since when?"
"Saturday night. I wonder what Mr. Thornton will say about it!"
"I wonder!" echoed Silwood; but this subject did not concern himgreatly, and he turned to his letters.
Ernest took the hint, and left Silwood with Williamson. After a shorttalk about current business, Silwood sent away the head-clerk, havinggiven him instructions to attend to any urgent matter in FrancisEversleigh's department which required immediate attention.
"So Morris Thornton comes next week," he said to himself whenalone--"next week--next week. The time is short--very short--and thereis much to do."
Silwood, to all appearance, went on with his work as usual, but inreality he was thinking out the situation. What, he asked, did FrancisEversleigh mean by absenting himself from the office--the plea ofillness was transparently absurd; and did he intend to go on absentinghimself? That could not be allowed, thought Silwood; it would never do.And Thornton was to be in London next week! Silwood, therefore, resolvedto go to Surbiton that afternoon to see Eversleigh.
His resolve did not need any strengthening, but something occurred whichwould have supplied it had it been required.
This was the receipt of a telegram from Harry Bennet, telling the firmthat he had passed a demand draft on it for two thousand pounds.
Silwood, having explained to Ernest that he particularly wished to seehis father, not only to see how he was, but also to consult him withrespect to Bennet's affairs, accompanied the young man to Ivydene.
Silwood had not seen Francis Eversleigh since he had made his confessionto him on the Saturday forenoon, and even his phlegm was disturbed bythe change worked in twenty-four hours on Francis, who looked broken andseriously ill. The meeting was an intensely painful one to Eversleigh;indeed, he thought at first of declining to see Silwood, but changed hismind.
Silwood saw Eversleigh in the latter's bedroom.
"Francis," said he, in a stiff, formal tone, "I am very sorry to see youlike this. You take things too much to heart. It's a bad blow, I know--aterrible blow. I can't tell you how bitterly I regret what I'vedone--how I repent of it."
Eversleigh looked at him strangely. Ever since Silwood had confessed hisguilt there had been moments when Eversleigh felt he could murderSilwood. And now that Silwood was before him, he fiercely asked himselfwhy he should not kill like a rat this man whom he had trusted soimplicitly, and who had betrayed that trust so shamefully. Did the mannot deserve death? Was anything too bad for him? And these questionswere in his eyes as they fixed themselves on Silwood.
"I don't suppose you came here," he said, in a strained voice that had acurious hissing sound about it, "to tell me this."
"To tell you this, Frank," observed Silwood, meeting fully the other'sgaze, "and other things too."
"What other things?" he asked hoarsely, glancing away from Silwood.Already his impulse of murder was passing away from his wavering mind;he was telling himself that if he killed Silwood the lot of his wife andfamily would only be the more desperate.
; Silwood all the while was regarding him intently. He was trying to readEversleigh's mind, and he came to the conclusion that Eversleigh wascapable of committing suicide or some other rash act.
"Before speaking of these, Frank," replied Silwood, "let me beg of younot to fret too much. What is the use of dwelling on what is past andcannot now be mended?"
"How can I help it?"
"You must try. For one thing, you must come to the office. It is surelybetter to attend to your work at the office----"
"To attend to my work!" broke in Eversleigh. "How can I, when all mythoughts are centred on one thing--the ruin that is coming upon me andthose innocent ones who must suffer? To attend to my work isimpossible!"
"Surely not."
"You know--no one better--that for years I have never attended to mywork properly. Do not think that I consider myself free from blame. Iought never to have allowed you to get control of the whole finances ofthe firm. It was my duty to have made inquiry, and to have seen thateverything belonging to our clients was in perfect order. I have beencriminally neglectful--I see that very clearly;" and as he spoke his owncondemnation there was a sob in his throat.
"Yes; but how does all this prevent you from coming to the office? Is itnot just the other way? And for a short time there is no reason to beafraid. What we have to dread most is the coming of Morris Thornton, andthat, I hear, will not be till some time next week. That gives us alittle breathing-space."
"Till some time next week!" said Eversleigh. "That's not much of arespite."
"Still, it's something. But there is another thing I have to tell you."
"What's that?" dully asked Eversleigh, telling himself that at any ratehe knew the worst.
"We got a telegram from Bennet saying he was drawing on us for twothousand pounds."
"Well, can't we pay it?"
"Certainly; but it is inconvenient. The withdrawal of this sum from ourbank account seriously reduces our balance."
"What is our balance?"
"About six thousand. With care, and if it were not for the coming ofThornton, we might be able to carry on for a long time."
"I have been thinking over our affairs," said Eversleigh, "since youspoke to me yesterday, and it seems to me we ought to call in afirst-class accountant to make a thorough investigation."
"And what would be the inevitable result?" asked Silwood, drily.
"We should know--I should know--how we stand."
"But I know quite well."
"I suppose so. What is the amount of your--of our, I suppose I mustsay--defalcations?"
"About four hundred thousand. That would be a nice thing for anaccountant to discover, to certify to! No, Francis, it is absurd to callin an accountant. It would not be long before he found out we wereinsolvent, and--defaulters. What service would that be to you or to thefirm? None whatever."
"No, perhaps it would not do," acquiesced Eversleigh, weakly. "You saidfour hundred thousand. How could you have been such a fool as to lose somuch money? Four hundred thousand!"
"I was a fool, Frank. But it's easy enough for a wise man to lose morethan that on the Stock Exchange."
"Well," sighed Eversleigh, hopelessly, "I don't know what's to be done."
"Why, nothing at present. And perhaps, Francis, your personal positionis not so bad. Ernest told me of the engagement of Miss Thornton toGilbert. That, surely, is an excellent thing for you. When her fatherfinds out the state of affairs he will be silent. He will certainly notcare to prosecute the father of his daughter's accepted husband, willhe?"
"He will insist on the engagement being broken off."
"Perhaps, but perhaps not. Leaving that aside, have you thought of thescheme I mentioned----?"
"Yes, yes; I have considered it," replied Eversleigh; then he looked atSilwood wonderingly, and said, "You take our position--my position--verycoolly, Cooper. One would think you had no real conception of what youhave done."
"Well," rejoined Silwood, hardily, "you see, it is all new to you,Francis, but it is no novelty to me. I have been familiar with ourposition for a long time--for years. But this is quite beside the point.Let us come to business. Do you intend to adopt my scheme?"
"I do not," said Eversleigh, firmly. "It is preposterous."
"If you will be advised by me----"
"Not in this," Eversleigh cried excitedly, "not in this. Would to God Ihad never been born!" he exclaimed. And he begged Silwood to leave him,promising to be at the office, however, next day.
As Silwood travelled back to town there was a singular and enigmaticexpression on his face; he was thinking that Eversleigh's consent towhat he had proposed was not essential, and, this being so, that hewould act alone.