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Are you come, sir, to use the rich successful man's right, and lecture me in my misery?" "'Pon my word, sir, you must have forgotten old Mark Armsworth, indeed, if you fancy him capable of any such dirt. No, sir, I came to pay my respects to you, sir, hoping that you'd come up and take a family dinner.
"He has the pluck of a hound, and the cunning of a fox," said Mark, "and he'll be a credit to you yet." So the years slipped on till the autumn of 1853. And then Tom, at the diggings at Ballarat, got a letter from Mary Armsworth.
What did this unaccustomed bit of bluster mean? for unaccustomed it was; and Tom knew well that Mary Armsworth had her own way, and managed her father as completely as he managed Whitbury. "Humph! It is impossible; and yet it must be. This explains his being so anxious that Lord Minchampstead should approve of me.
Armsworth, do remember one thing; that if you go on with him at your usual rate of hospitality, the man will as surely be drunk, as his nerves and brain are all but ruined; and if he is so, he will most probably destroy himself to-morrow morning." "Destroy himself?" "He will. The shame of making a fool of himself just now before you will be more than he could bear. So be stingy for once.
Tom did not disturb him: but went away, sorely perplexed, and very much minded to tell a white lie to Armsworth, in whose eyes this would be an offence not unpardonable, for nothing with him was unpardonable, save lying or cruelty but very grievous.
"I hope you English showed more pity to your wounded friends in the Crimea," quoth Stangrave, laughing, "I wanted to stop and pick him up: but Mr. Armsworth would not hear of it."
Before Tom left for the East old Mark Armsworth took him aside, and said, "What do you think of the man who marries my daughter?" "I should think," quoth Tom, wondering who the happy man could be, "that he would be lucky in possessing such a heart." "Then be as good as your word, and take her yourself. I've watched you, and you'll make her a good husband."
So Tom told old Mark it was impossible, because he was in love with another woman. And then just as he was packing up next morning came a note from Mark Armsworth and a cheque for £500, "To Thomas Thurnall, Esq., for behaving like a gentleman." And Tom went Eastward Ho! two years ago. IV. Christmas Eve It was in September, after Tom had left, that Grace found the missing belt.
"I only join it because I can get no other employment at the seat of war." "Humph! You wish to go then, in any case, to the seat of war?" "Certainly." "No doubt you have sufficient reasons.... Armsworth, this puts the question in a new light." Tom looked round at Mark, and, behold, his face bore a ludicrous mixture of anger and disappointment, and perplexity.
He seemed to be trying to make signals to Tom, and to be afraid of doing so openly before the great man. "He is as wilful and as foolish as a girl, my lord; and I've told him so." "Everybody knows his own business best, Armsworth; Mr. Thurnall, have you any fancy for the post of Queen's messenger?" "I should esteem myself only too happy as one."
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