But the money must be paid; or, at least, the debt must be acknowledged. As soon as she had somewhat recovered herself she opened the old desk which had for years been the receptacle of all her papers, and taking out sundry16 scribbled17 documents, went to work at a sum in addition. It cannot be said of her that she was a good accountant, but she had been so far careful as to have kept entries of all the monies she had received from Thomas Thwaite. She had once carried in her head a correct idea of the entire sum she owed him; but now she set down the items with dates, and made the account fair on a sheet of note paper. So much money she certainly did owe to Daniel Thwaite, and so much she would certainly pay if ever the means of paying it should be hers. Then she went off with her account to Mr. Goffe.
Mr. Goffe did not think that the matter pressed. The payment of large sums which have been long due never is pressing in the eyes of lawyers. Men are always supposed to have a hundred pounds in their waistcoat pockets; but arrangements have to be made for the settling of thousands. "You had better let me write him a line and tell him that it shall be looked to as soon as the question as to the property is decided," said Mr. Goffe. But this did not suit the views of the Countess. She spoke18 out very openly as to all she owed to the father, and as to her eternal enmity to the son. It behoved her to pay the debt, if only that she might be able to treat the man altogether as an enemy. She had understood that, even pending19 the trial, a portion of the income would be allowed by the courts for her use and for the expenses of the trial. It was assented20 that this money should be paid. Could steps be taken by which it might be settled at once? Mr. Goffe, taking the memorandum21, said that he would see what could be done, and then wrote his short note to Daniel Thwaite. When he had computed22 the interest which must undoubtedly23 be paid on the borrowed money he found that a sum of about ￡9,000 was due to the tailor. "Nine thousand pounds!" said one Mr. Goffe to another. "That will be better to him than marrying the daughter of an earl." Could Daniel have heard the words he would have taken the lawyer by the throat and have endeavoured to teach him what love is.
Then the trial came on. Before the day fixed24 had come round, but only just before it, Mr. Goffe showed the account to Serjeant Bluestone. "God bless my soul!" said the Serjeant. "There should be some vouchers25 for such an amount as that." Mr. Goffe declared that there were no vouchers, except for a very trifling26 part of it; but still thought that the amount should be allowed. The Countess was quite willing to make oath, if need be, that the money had been supplied to her. Then the further consideration of the question was for the moment postponed27, and the trial came on.
On the Tuesday, which had been left a vacant day as regarded the trial, there was a meeting,—like all other proceedings28 in this cause, very irregular in its nature,—at the chambers29 of the Solicitor-General, at which Serjeant Bluestone attended with Messrs. Hardy30, Mainsail, Flick31, and Goffe; and at this meeting, among other matters of business, mention was made of the debt due by the Countess to Daniel Thwaite. Of this debt the Solicitor-General had not as yet heard,—though he had heard of the devoted32 friendship of the old tailor. That support had been afforded to some extent,—that for a period the shelter of old Thwaite's roof had been lent to the Countess,—that the man had been generous and trusting, he did know. He had learned, of course, that thence had sprung that early familiarity which had enabled the younger Thwaite to make his engagement with Lady Anna. That something should be paid when the ladies came by their own he was aware. But the ladies were not his clients, and into the circumstances he had not inquired. Now he was astounded33 and almost scandalized by the amount of the debt.
"Do you mean to say that he advanced ￡9,000 in hard cash?" said the Solicitor-General.
"That includes interest at five per cent., Sir William, and also a small sum for bills paid by Thomas Thwaite on her behalf. She has had in actual cash about ￡7,000."
"And where has it gone?"
"A good deal of it through my hands," said Mr. Goffe boldly. "During two or three years she had no income at all, and during the last twenty years she has been at law for her rights. He advanced all the money when that trial for bigamy took place."
"God bless my soul!" said Mr. Serjeant Bluestone.
"Did he leave a will?" asked the Solicitor-General.
"Oh, yes; a will which has been proved, and of which I have a copy. There was nothing else to leave but this debt, and that is left to the son."
"It should certainly be paid without delay," said Mr. Hardy. Mr. Mainsail questioned whether they could get the money. Mr. Goffe doubted whether it could be had before the whole affair was settled. Mr. Flick was sure that on due representation the amount would be advanced at once. The income of the property was already accumulating in the hands of the court, and there was an anxiety that all just demands,—demands which might be considered to be justly made on the family property,—should be paid without delay. "I think there would hardly be a question," said Mr. Hardy.
"Seven thousand pounds advanced by these two small tradesmen to the Countess Lovel," said the Solicitor-General, "and that done at a time when no relation of her own or of her husband would lend her a penny! I wish I had known that when I went into court yesterday."
"It would hardly have done any good," said the Serjeant.
"It would have enabled one at any rate to give credit where credit is due. And this son is the man who claims to be affianced to the Lady Anna?"
"The same man, Sir William," said Mr. Goffe.
"One is almost inclined to think that he deserves her."
"I can't agree with you there at all," said the Serjeant angrily.
"One at any rate is not astonished that the young lady should think so," continued the Solicitor-General. "Upon my word, I don't know how we are to expect that she should throw her early lover overboard after such evidence of devotion."
"The marriage would be too incongruous," said Mr. Hardy.
"Quite horrible," said the Serjeant.
"It distresses34 one to think of it," said Mr. Goffe.
"It would be much better that she should not be Lady Anna at all, if she is to do that," said Mr. Mainsail.
"Very much better," said Mr. Flick, shaking his head, and remembering that he was employed by Lord Lovel and not by the Countess,—a fact of which it seemed to him that the Solicitor-General altogether forgot the importance.
"Gentlemen, you have no romance among you," said Sir William. "Have not generosity and valour always prevailed over wealth and rank with ladies in story?"
"I do not remember any valorous tailors who have succeeded with ladies of high degree," said Mr. Hardy.
"Did not the lady of the Strachy marry the yeoman of the wardrobe?" asked the Solicitor-General.
"I don't know that we care much about romance here," said the Serjeant. "The marriage would be so abominable35, that it is not to be thought of."
"The tailor should at any rate get his money," said the Solicitor-General, "and I will undertake to say that if the case be as represented by Mr. Goffe—"
"It certainly is," said the attorney.
"Then there will be no difficulty in raising the funds for paying it. If he is not to have his wife, at any rate let him have his money. I think, Mr. Flick, that intimation should be made to him that Earl Lovel will join the Countess in immediate36 application to the court for means to settle his claim. Circumstanced as we are at present, there can be no doubt that such application will have the desired result. It should, of course, be intimated that Serjeant Bluestone and myself are both of opinion that the money should be allowed for the purpose."
As the immediate result of this conversation, Daniel Thwaite received on the following morning letters both from Mr. Goffe and Mr. Flick. The former intimated to him that a sum of nine thousand odd pounds was held to be due to him by the Countess, and that immediate steps would be taken for its payment. That from Mr. Flick, which was much shorter than the letter from his brother attorney, merely stated that as a very large sum of money appeared to be due by the Countess Lovel to the estate of the late Thomas Thwaite, for sums advanced to the Countess during the last twenty years, the present Earl Lovel had been advised to join the Countess in application to the courts, that the amount due might be paid out of the income of the property left by the late Earl; and that that application would be made "immediately." Mr. Goffe in his letter, went on to make certain suggestions, and to give much advice. As this very large debt, of which no proof was extant, was freely admitted by the Countess, and as steps were being at once taken to ensure payment of the whole sum named to Daniel Thwaite, as his father's heir, it was hoped that Daniel Thwaite would at once abandon his preposterous37 claim to the hand of Lady Anna Lovel. Then Mr. Goffe put forward in glowing colours the iniquity38 of which Daniel Thwaite would be guilty should he continue his fruitless endeavours to postpone the re-establishment of a noble family which was thus showing its united benevolence39 by paying to him the money which it owed him.
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1
solitude
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| n. 孤独; 独居,荒僻之地,幽静的地方 | |
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2
persistency
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| n. 坚持(余辉, 时间常数) | |
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standing
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| n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的 | |
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postpone
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| v.延期，推迟 | |
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gratitude
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| adj.感激，感谢 | |
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ingratitude
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| n.忘恩负义 | |
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7
pretensions
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| 自称( pretension的名词复数 )； 自命不凡； 要求； 权力 | |
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8
drawn
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| v.拖，拉，拔出；adj.憔悴的，紧张的 | |
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9
treacherously
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| 背信弃义地； 背叛地； 靠不住地； 危险地 | |
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aggrandizement
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| n.增大，强化，扩大 | |
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generosity
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| n.大度，慷慨，慷慨的行为 | |
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annulled
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| v.宣告无效( annul的过去式和过去分词 )；取消；使消失；抹去 | |
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13
well-being
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| n.安康，安乐，幸福 | |
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slay
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| v.杀死，宰杀，杀戮 | |
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15
wont
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| adj.习惯于；v.习惯；n.习惯 | |
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sundry
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| adj.各式各样的，种种的 | |
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17
scribbled
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| v.潦草的书写( scribble的过去式和过去分词 )；乱画；草草地写；匆匆记下 | |
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18
spoke
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| n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说 | |
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19
pending
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| prep.直到，等待…期间；adj.待定的；迫近的 | |
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assented
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| 同意，赞成( assent的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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memorandum
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| n.备忘录，便笺 | |
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22
computed
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| adj.[医]计算的，使用计算机的v.计算，估算( compute的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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undoubtedly
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| adv.确实地，无疑地 | |
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fixed
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| adj.固定的，不变的，准备好的；(计算机)固定的 | |
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vouchers
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| n.凭证( voucher的名词复数 )；证人；证件；收据 | |
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trifling
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| adj.微不足道的；没什么价值的 | |
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27
postponed
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| vt.& vi.延期，缓办，（使）延迟vt.把…放在次要地位；[语]把…放在后面（或句尾）vi.（疟疾等）延缓发作（或复发） | |
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28
proceedings
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| n.进程，过程，议程；诉讼(程序)；公报 | |
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chambers
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| n.房间( chamber的名词复数 )；（议会的）议院；卧室；会议厅 | |
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30
hardy
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| adj.勇敢的，果断的，吃苦的；耐寒的 | |
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31
flick
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| n.快速的轻打，轻打声，弹开；v.轻弹，轻轻拂去，忽然摇动 | |
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32
devoted
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| adj.忠诚的，忠实的，热心的，献身于...的 | |
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33
astounded
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| v.使震惊(astound的过去式和过去分词)；愕然；愕；惊讶 | |
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distresses
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| n.悲痛( distress的名词复数 )；痛苦；贫困；危险 | |
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35
abominable
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| adj.可厌的，令人憎恶的 | |
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36
immediate
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| adj.立即的；直接的，最接近的；紧靠的 | |
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37
preposterous
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| adj.荒谬的，可笑的 | |
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38
iniquity
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| n.邪恶；不公正 | |
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39
benevolence
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| n.慈悲，捐助 | |
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